County stalwarts Wayne Madsen and Ravi Bopara await their opportunity with bated breath

Multan Sultans left out two of their old-stagers for the opening game against Lahore Qalandars but back-to-back matches present an opportunity for rotation

• PSL 2020 - Things to watch
• The remarkable journey is Umer Khan

It wasn't an insult, merely an example of their towering reserves. With Shan Masood, James Vince, Rilee Rossouw, Moeen Ali and Shahid Afridi in their line-up, Multan Sultans could afford to leave out two of their most experienced figures for their opening match against Lahore Qalandars.

Alongside Bilawal Bhatti, Junaid Khan, Rohail Nazir, Usman Qadir and Ali Shafiq at the Gaddafi Stadium were the sidelined figures of Wayne Madsen and Ravi Bopara, both of whom are still waiting for their opportunity.

For two players whose professional careers sit at a combined 35 years, a watching brief on the big stage must be a strange experience. County fans have become used to the duo being regular features of the domestic scene in England for over a decade. They're as central to the system as jumpers in mid-April.

All cliches aside, Bopara should, in reality, be a real asset in this format in South Asia. With 575 runs and 15 wickets across 31 matches during four years at Karachi Kings in the PSL he is potent in the middle overs in both innings. Players who can influence all corners of the game are cherished goods in competitions such as these, where the calibre of the opponent is perhaps not at the elite level.

Madsen is relatively new to the franchise game but by most metrics, he can be regarded as a real strength. He averaged just below 50 in the T20 Blast last season as Derbyshire reached Finals Day. 

Andy Flower takes on veteran Multan Sultans side with its best shot yet at PSL glory

In the T10 League for Team Abu Dhabi his 54 runs came at a strike-rate of 192.85. Batting at either three or four he can score on both sides of the wicket, either with a resolute calmness or letting loose destructively. There is reliability about him regardless of the task at hand.

Obviously, overseas player restrictions will dictate selection for every team in this competition. Sides will be keen to make the most of their highest-profile additions while they are in the house. Paying between $147,000 and a maximum price of $218,000 for platinum stars, Rossouw and Ali in this case, is likely to keep them gainfully employed for much of the competition. Thereafter, the remaining berths are up for grabs.

Sussex-bound Bopara sits in the diamond bracket while Madsen - who is only available until March 7 when he is replaced by Fabian Allen - came in the silver category. For only so long can both men remain on the peripheral.

With Imran Tahir, Ali and Afridi having plenty of success with the pace coming off, there is certainly room to accommodate Bopara instead of one of the left-arm seamers Sohail Tanvir and Mohammad Irfan.

Meanwhile, promises that pitches would be friendly to bat on have so far been delivered on. Victory over Qalandars included the two lowest scores of the tournament so far, though it was the first to be played away from Karachi. Madsen is only available for another five matches after the meeting with Islamabad United so a call-up is as necessary as it is a formality.