cond edition of ICL tournament is heading towards a close, the lines of demarcation have been clearly drawn.

Chennai Superstars, Hyderabad Heroes, Lahore Badshahs and Kolkata Knight Riders are the four teams that have made it to the semi-finals. Hyderabad have already cemented their place in the finals with a win over Chennai in a match that could have gone either way.

One team that has been silently making up the ranks and causing a few raised eyebrows are Lahore Badshahs, the team from Pakistan. The team is composed of experienced veterans like Inzamam ul-Haq, Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq, who have played at the highest level. This team have the potential to go all the way and are the only side that remain unbeaten in the tournament winning all seven games.

'Saqlain is probably the first bowler ever to bowl the doosra'


In Inzamam, they have an able leader who can explode at any time with his brute power and amazing hitting ability. Imran Nazir is another talented youngster with the right ingredients to excel in this shorter format. Everyone will remember the handy knock that he played in the final of the Twenty20 World Championship against India. Salman Butt, Hasan Raza and Taufeeq Umar add weight to the line-up.

In the bowling attack, the spin department is manned by two former Pakistani greats – Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmed. Mushtaq Ahmed is a potent bowler who can trouble the batsmen with his googlies and leg-breaks, while Saqlain is another wily off-spinner who can weave a web of spin around the batsmen. Probably the first bowler ever to bowl the doosra, he can trouble the batsmen with variations in flight, spin and turn. His top spinner completes his armoury - and who can forget his hat-trick against Zimbabwe in the World Cup?

Apart from these two, there is Arshad Khan, who can add value to the side with his slow off-breaks

In the pace department Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Mohammed Sami make up a good attack; Naved-ul-Hasan especially has come through the ranks very well after the initial phase in his international career where he was considered to be an expensive bowler. And Shahid Nazir has a platform to showcase his skills.

Azhar Mahmood fills in the all-rounder category - a decent bowler and destructive lower order batsman, he is a very useful member of the side.

This combination of comeback men and talented youngsters give Lahore a distinct edge and a great chance of crowning glory.