KARACHI: Sri Lankan Premier League is to make waves again with leading Pakistani players ruling the roost amongst a star studded line-up in each of the seven participating teams.

Players from Pakistan have been amongst the most sought after in T20 leagues all around the world and SLPL 2013 is no different.

In this year’s edition, Pakistan’s Mohammad Irfan is set to feature too and although he is yet to be signed, sources close to the league claim he would be one of the biggest scalps in the auction this year.

Besides Irfan, the stars of the national T20 team Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, and Shoaib Malik are also set to invoke renewed interest in both the SLPL and the Caribbean Premier League, which will take place from July 29-August 26, and the trio is expected to hog the headlines during their stint in Pearl Island.

Additionally, top Pakistani T20 cricketers like Muhammad Hafeez, Imran Nazir, Nasir Jamshed, Umer Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Umar Gul, Junaid Khan, who have played the first edition of SLPL will be in action in the second edition as well.

Meanwhile, considering the interest of the cricketing fans, some of the leading broadcasters are trying to acquire telecast rights of the tournament in the country. Amongst them an international broadcaster is willing to shell out big money in lieu of the massive market in the country for the T20 format.

A sports management and marketing company is negotiating the rights with the broadcasters on behalf of SLPL in Pakistan.

With the 2013 edition of Indian Premier League set to roll from next month, cricket fans from around the world are in for a treat; however, the absence of Pakistani players from the biggest tournament in the shortest format of cricket takes the lustre off for some.

In such a scenario, the SLPL along-with Caribbean Premier League are the two tournaments that would give local cricket fans the rare opportunity of seeing their national cricketers mix with the best in the business from other cricketing nations, because of which national and international broadcasters are not in the mood of letting the opportunity slip.