The eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) returns on the 13th February 2023. In the first match of the PSL 2023, a rematch of the 2022 Final will be played between defending champions Lahore Qalanders and Multan Sultans. The Sultans will play three of the first five matches, with the Karachi Kings playing half of the opening half dozen games. The Qalanders, Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi will play just one in the opening six matches. 
Lahore Qalanders
Potential starting XI: Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, Sam Billings, Sikandar Raza, Hussain Talat, David Wiese, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan
The defending champions, the Qalanders have retained a large amount of last year's successful squad. The three-pronged Pakistani pace attack of Afridi, Rauf and Khan will go again along with star spinner Rashid. They have also picked up two wily all-rounders in Wiese and Raza that will provide nous with the ball and experience in the middle order.
Billings has been drafted in with the hopes of providing some sort of replacement for the excellent Harry Brook, who is unavailable due to England duty. Brook had his overseas breakout tournament in the PSL last season but will unfortunately not be able to continue his fine form in Pakistan, having been in fine fettle once again for England in the T20Is in Lahore and Karachi late last year.
Lahore may miss that sort of talent but a solid top three including Zaman, who was in incredible form in PSL 2022, will help set up an experienced middle order with late hitting ability in Wiese and Rashid. The bowling lineup is certainly one of the strongest-looking in the tournament and may well be their key to success, providing Shaheen is back to full fitness.
Prediction - 3rd
Multan Sultans
Potential starting XI: Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood, Rilee Rossouw, Usman Khan, David Miller, Tim David, Khushdil Shah, Wayne Parnell, Anwar Ali, Usama Mir, Shahnawaz Dahani
Multan, who looked so strong last year only to fall short in the Final, will again have a good chance of success. They have a strong overseas stable, with experienced South African big hitters Rossouw and Miller joined by six-hitting maestro David in a powerful lineup. Kieron Pollard is also on the roster and will likely push for a space in the XI, especially when David is unavailable.
Parnell suffered a groin injury which saw him miss out on some of the last few games of Pretoria Capitals' debut SA20 campaign before returning for the Final, so his involvement is not 100% certain. If he is to miss at least part of the season, Irish international Josh Little will offer an alternative left-arm pace option. West Indies' Akeal Hosein will also provide competition but his profile is almost identical to that of Pakistan international Khushdil.
The exuberant Dahani will lead the Sultans attack with leg-spinner Mir set to play a big part following his recent outings with the Pakistan national side. The ever-dependable opening duo of Rizwan and Masood will provide plenty of platforms for the power throughout the order later on. Khan is a batting option having played well during the recent Bangladesh Premier League, including scoring an impressive hundred.
Prediction - 5th
Islamabad United
Potential starting XI: Alex Hales, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Colin Munro, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan, Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Hasan Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Islamabad lay claim to one of the most powerful and explosive batting lineups in world cricket. Hales has been one of the most in-form t20 batters in the world in recent months, coming off the back of winning the t20 World Cup with England and decimating attacks in the recent ILT20. He will likely be partnered by one of Gurbaz or Paul Stirling, both of whom are fire-starters in their own right.Embed from Getty Images;
Munro will provide further firepower at three, before the aggressive Pakistan trio of Shadab, Azam and Asif come to the party. England's Moeen Ali is set to join up with the squad towards the end of the tournament following the end of the tour of Bangladesh.
Shadab will lead both the team and the bowling attack, with fellow internationals Faheem, Wasim Jr and Ali forming a strong pace attack. Zafar Gohar, Mubasir Khan and Sohaib Maqsood present domestic spin options alongside recent Test standout Abrar.
Prediction - 1st
Peshawar Zalmi
Potential starting XI: Babar Azam, Mohammad Haris, Saim Ayub, Sherfane Rutherford, Rovman Powell, Jimmy Neesham, Aamer Jamal, Wahab Riaz, Usman Qadir, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Salman Irshad
The big news in the leadup to PSL 8 was the transfer of Pakistan captain Babar to Zalmi from the Karachi Kings. He will also lead his new side and partner the young and aggressive Haris. Another young batter is Ayub, who has impressed in the last 12 months and is set to have another go at impressing at the PSL. Haris Sohail is another solid option for the top order but with the setup of the squad it is likely it will be between him and Ayub for a spot in the XI.
There will be power through the middle order with West Indians Rutherford and Powell alongside experienced Kiwi all-rounder Neesham. Sri Lanka's Bhanuka Rajapaksa presents another strong batting option. Wahab Riaz, the PSL's all-time leading wicket-taker, will lead the Peshawar attack with spinners Qadir and Mujeeb likely to play a big part in any Zalmi success.
Prediction - 6th
Quetta Gladiators
Potential starting XI: Jason Roy, Will Smeed, Ahsan Ali, Umar Akmal, Iftikhar Ahmed, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Wanindu Hasaranga, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Naveen ul Haq
Quetta, who finished fifth in 2022, do look to have an incredible-looking squad this time around. They have a number of key Pakistan internationals, in particular all-rounders Iftikhar and Nawaz and premier fast bowler Naseem. Fellow quick Hasnain will hope for a better PSL this time round as Afghanistan's Naveen also joins the pace bowling ranks.
Sri Lanka star Hasaranga will likely play a big role while he is available, joining the strong spin-based stable of all-rounders. At the top of the order, questions will no doubt be raised with regards to the form of Roy ahead of the tournament. He has endured an extremely lean spell over the last year or so, passing fifty just once in the recent SA20. Smeed could well get another chance with Quetta after some incredible performances in his debut PSL season last year; he produced scores of 97 and 99.
New Zealand's experienced opener Martin Guptill is also an option, with Will Jacks jetting in as a partial replacement for Roy in around two weeks' time. Jacks produced an incredible campaign in the SA20, scoring 270 runs in seven innings at an absurd strike rate of 201 before joining up with his England teammates in New Zealand.
The Gladiators also have the burly West Indies all-rounder Odean Smith, who will be replaced by South African Dwaine Pretorius, and Afghan leg-spinner Qais Ahmed as further options, as well as Pakistan international Saud Shakeel.
Prediction - 2nd
Karachi Kings
Potential starting XI: James Vince, Sharjeel Khan, Haider Ali, Matthew Wade, Shoaib Malik, Tayyab Tahir, Imad Wasim, Aamer Yamin, Andrew Tye, Mohammed Amir, Tabraiz Shamsi
Last year's basement side, who lost their first eight games and won only once all season, have made a number of changes to their squad setup for 2023. Haider and Malik have come over from Zalmi, with previous captain Babar going the other way as mentioned above. Vince will replace compatriot Joe Clarke at the top of the order, having represented Quetta last year.
Australian Wade will provide experience in the batting lineup, with the ultimate definition of t20 batting experience in Malik alongside him. Tayyab will likely provide powerful impetus towards the end of the Kings' innings. Amir will lead an attack that will feature Big Bash League star Tye and South Africa's Shamsi. 43-year-old Imran Tahir, who was at Multan last season, will provide a good option for certain games to bowl in tandem with Shamsi and Wasim.
Experience is arguably the key word with the Kings this year, with an incredible amount within the squad. The majority of the side will have played hundreds of t20 matches at the highest of levels and while all may not be in their primes, there should be plenty of talent to see them at least double their win tally from last year.
Prediction - 4th
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