LAHORE: Pakistan all-format captain and the most successful batter in the history of the tournament, Babar Azam, will don Peshawar Zalmi colours in the eighth edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League.
In one of the biggest trades of the tournament, 2017 champions Peshawar Zalmi snapped Babar in the Platinum category and the first pick in the supplementary round for Haider Ali and Shoaib Malik who move to Karachi Kings, the winners of the 2020 edition, in Platinum and Diamond categories, respectively, before the trade and retention window closed on Friday evening.
Babar Azam, who was at Islamabad United before moving to Karachi Kings, is the only player in Platinum category for Peshawar Zalmi. Wahab Riaz and Sherfane Rutherford are in Diamond, while Mohammad Haris, who has lightened up the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with his fearless batting, is in Gold. Peshawar Zalmi are the only side to retain seven players. Haider is Karachi’s only player in the platinum category, while Shoaib joins Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir in the Diamond. They have retained Sharjeel Khan, Mir Hamza and Aamir Yamin in the Silver category and Qasim Akram in the Emerging.
Lahore Qalandars, the defending champions, have kept retained Shaheen Afridi, their captain, and Rashid Khan in the Platinum category. All-rounder David Wiese stays in Diamond category. While Lahore have retained seven players, they will announce their eighth retention in due course.
Multan Sultans, the winners of the 2021 edition and the finalists in the last one, have retained middle-order batters Khushdil Shah and Rilee Rossouw in Diamond category and Tim David in Gold. Their captain Mohammad Rizwan, the highest run getter in T20 Internationals since the beginning of 2021 and the player of HBL PSL 2021, is their only retention in the Platinum. Fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani, named Multan Sultans’ Brand Ambassador, he joins David in Gold category.
Islamabad United, the winners of the inaugural and third editions in 2016 and 2018, have retained their captain Shadab Khan in the Platinum category. They have kept two players in the Diamond with Asif Ali being named as the Brand Ambassador and Mohammad Wasim Jnr. Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf and Hasan Ali will continue with United in Gold.
Quetta Gladiators have retained Mohammad Nawaz, who has been with them since the inaugural edition, in the Platinum. Jason Roy and Iftikhar Ahmed are retained in Diamond category. Their captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and Mohammad Hasnain (Brand Ambassador) are in the Gold category.
Meanwhile, leading T20 cricketers from around the globe have registered themselves for the HBL PSL Player Draft 2023. Four hundred and ninety-three (493) players, of which 29 are in Platinum category and 81 in Diamond (names below), from both full member and associate nations have made themselves available for the player draft.
The maximum numbers of foreign players to register are from England (140). The next on the list – from full members - are Sri Lanka (60), Afghanistan (43), West Indies (38), Bangladesh (28), South Africa (25), Australia (14), Zimbabwe (11) and Ireland (nine).
PSL Tournament Director Usman Wahla said, “Today we have checked another box on our journey towards the HBL Pakistan Super League 8. It gives me immense pleasure that the HBL PSL has transformed into one of the most successful and sought after leagues, and the interest and willingness of the T20 superstars from around the world to be a part of it is a testimony. Foreign players, from time to time, reflect on how the quality and competitiveness of the HBL PSL has helped them in enhancing their skillset. With every passing day, we are stepping up our efforts to ensure that the upcoming edition goes down as the best to have taken place. The presence of these superstars will light up the stadiums in Lahore, Karachi, Multan and Rawalpindi.”
The details of HBL PSL Player Draft 2023 will be announced in due course.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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