Multan Sultans replace Nicholas Pooran with Johnson Charles

Johnson Charles has a T20 strike-rate of 125. © Getty

In a like-for-like replacement, wicketkeeper-batsman Johnson Charles has replaced Nicholas Pooran in the Multan Sultans squad for the fourth edition of the Pakistan Super League after the latter was called-up to the Windies squad for the England ODIs. Charles, member of Windies' 2012 and 2016 World T20 winning squads, joins the Sultans in the Silver category.

Pooran made an impression on the national selectors with his sparkling form in the eight T20Is he has played so far. His unbeaten 53 against India at Chennai played a crucial role in announcing the 23-year-old's arrival at world stage. He was subsequently picked up by Kings XI Punjab in the IPL auction. Pooran has also turned out for Islamabad United in one match in the 2017 PSL edition.

Charles was previously associated with Quetta Gladiators. "I have heard so many good things about HBL PSL and I can't wait to be a part of this Pakistani cricket festival," said Charles, who has 3,107 runs in 133 T20 innings at a strike rate of 125.

"Our squad at Multan Sultans is fairly balanced and I am confident that we can do well this year. Personally speaking, I am really looking forward to sharing the dressing room with guys like Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi. They have played so much cricket and I am sure they will have great things to share with me and with the rest of our squad as well."

The 30-year-old top-order batsman adds to the depth in the Sultans' squad with his wicketkeeping abilities.

Reacting to the player replacement, head coach Johan Botha said: "As a team, we are very happy for Pooran," he said. "He has worked hard and his excellent performances over this past year have been recognised."

We are confident that Johnson will play a significant role in our HBL PSL campaign this year. He has the experience of two ICC World T20 wins under his belt and I have no doubt that our team will benefit from his performances and his experience."

This is Sultan's second replacement of the tournament. Previously, they signed up Andre Russel after Steve Smith, their first pick of the player draft, was ruled out with an elbow injury.

Multan Sultans kick off their campaign with a match against Karachi Kings at Dubai on the second day of the tournament (Feb 15).