A host of international stars have confirmed their participation for various franchises in the third edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

On Saturday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), announced the inclusion of seven overseas players who will take part in the country’s premier T20 league.

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The players who have been confirmed at the moment are Angelo Mathews, Evin Lewis, Imran Tahir, Chris Lynn, Mitchell Johnson, JP Duminy and Rashid Khan.

Started in 2015, the PSL comprises of six franchises and the third edition is expected to start in February 2018 though the schedule for the competition has not been announced yet.

The UAE has staged the previous two editions due to Pakistan’s international isolation, but March’s final between victors Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators was held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

While the league fixtures were held in Dubai and Sharjah, the final took place in Pakistan under a massive security presence as several internationals including West Indies’ Darren Sammy made themselves available despite security concerns.

This year the PCB expects to hold more than just the final back home in Pakistan with previous chairman Shahryar Khan outlining plans to hold 10 matches of the PSL in their own backyard before he was replaced by Najam Sethi.

The recently concluded visit of the ICC World XI saw international cricket return in a big way to the nation after a long time and its success could pave the way for more teams and international players agreeing to tour the country in the future.

The PSL had earlier announced the participation of two Chinese national team cricketers for the third edition as part of PCB’s efforts to promote the game in the most populous country in the world.

With the signing of T20 powerhouses like West Indies’ Evin Lewis and Australia’s Chris Lynn, the third edition of the PSL could just be about to get a whole lot more exciting.