Former Pakistan captains Wasim Akram and Ramiz Raja have been named as the ambassadors of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) aims to boost the profile of the twice-postponed Twenty20 tournament.

Former pace bowling great Akram, who recently supervised a camp for up and coming Pakistani pacers, and Raja will bring their experience of working in the popular Indian Premier League (IPL) to the table as efforts to get the PSL up and running by February 2016 gather pace.

Akram is the bowling coach of IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders and Raja has served as a television expert in the tournament since its very first edition.

“I have been offered to be the ambassador of the league and I am excited about the league as it will help our players game-wise as well as financially,” Wasim said.

“Pakistan needed such a league so we all have to support the league and some good work is done for hosting this in the Gulf state and I am sure it will help lift Pakistan cricket.”

According to an official present in a PCB meeting on Friday, Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews and star bowler Lasith Malinga have also expressed an interest in being part of the PSL after the names of 15 initial targets were revealed on Thursday.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the PCB was also hoping to rope in West Indian superstar Chris Gayle and England's Kevin Pietersen.

Kieron Pollard of the West Indies, Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan and New Zealand's Grant Elliott have emerged as the possible big-name signings for the inaugural edition of the PSL, scheduled to be hosted in Doha, Qatar, in February 2016.

Pollard is one of five West Indians who have expressed an interest in being part of the much-blighted PSL.

Three players from Sri Lanka, including Dilshan, are also among the stars who have appeared on the radar.

The twice-postponed PSL will finally be ready for take off in February and will feature around 25 foreign players, former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and head of the Executive Committee, Najam Sethi, announced last month.

The PCB had planned a Twenty20 league in 2013 but had to postpone it twice -- in 2014 and 2015 -- over a lack of response from sponsors and logistics problems.

The big name players who have expressed an interest so far

West Indies

Keiron Pollard

Sunil Narine

Dwayne Bravo

Dwyane Smith

Samuel Badree

Sri Lanka

Thisara Perera

Tilakaratene Dilshan

Ajantha Mendis

New Zealand

Grant Elliott

James Franklin

South Africa

Richard Levi

Roben Peterson

Australia

Brad Hodge

England

Tim Bresnan

Michael Carberry