PSL 2021: Australia's Usman Khawaja excited about playing cricket in Pakistan

• Australian Test cricketer Usman Khawaja is set to live his dream of playing for a Pakistani franchise.
• The cricketer has been picked for Islamabad United's replacement draft' slot.
  
• At the age of five, Khawaja's family moved from Islamabad to Australia.
  

Australian Test cricketer Usman Khawaja is set to live his dream of playing for Pakistan, as he was picked by the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise, Islamabad United as its "replacement draft".

Khawaja is eagerly awaiting to play in Pakistan. The cricketer will be joined by fellow Australians James Faulkner, Callum Ferguson, and Joe Burns, who were all selected by the Lahore Qalandars.

The team he joins represents the city where he was born. At the age of five, Khawaja's family moved from Islamabad to Australia. 

Khawaja said unfortunately, he never got a=the chance to play for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) because of domestic cricket. "This might be a little blessing in disguise to play over there. I'd love to go over there and play," the cricketer told cricket.com.au.

Read more: IPL 2021: Organisers silent amid reports of COVID-19 spread among players

"I've played in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh but I've never played in Pakistan where I was born and it's something I would love to do, to go home to where it all began for myself, my family," he added.

"I would also like to go home where my family and I started, I feel good that cricket is coming back to Pakistan," he said.

Talking about the Indian Premier League (IPL), Khuwaja said: "Personally, if the PSL had as much money as the IPL there's no doubt all the international players would be going there," he opined.

The International Cricket Council's future tours programme (FTP) has Australia scheduled for an away series against Pakistan in February and March of 2022, comprising two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is, read the publication.