The Pakistan Super League (PSL) will start in February 2024, and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Thursday the list of players that were retained by each of the six teams.
In the Platinum category, the defending champion Lahore Qalandards kept the captain in place, Shaheen Afridi. Islamabad United was able to hold onto both their top trader, Naseem Shah, and captain, Shadab Khan.
“Following the finalization of all trades and retentions, Multan Sultans will now have the first pick in the first round of the Platinum category, after Multan and Quetta traded Iftikhar Ahmed and Rilee Rossouw between them,” the Pakistan Cricket Board announced in a press release.
“As Naseem Shah moved Islamabad United, Quetta Gladiator’s third-round Platinum pick was swapped for their first-round selection.
“Their first-round Silver pick was traded for Multan Sultan’s fourth-round Silver pick after Shan Masood joined Karachi Kings. Karachi’s second-round Silver pick has been swapped for Islamabad’s first-round pick due to Imad Wasim’s move to Islamabad United.
Furthermore, the Quetta Gladiators and Karachi Kings will have to select a local player for the Platinum category.
“As per the precedent, each of the six sides will have the Right to Match Card that will allow them to pick any player released from their roster during the draft.”
Complete retentions:
The 8 members of the Lahore Qalandars are Mirza Tahir Baig (successfully relegated), Rashid Khan (both Silver), Sikandar Raza, Abdullah Shafique, Zaman Khan, and Haris Rauf (Brand Ambassador), all Diamonds.
Islamabad United (8): Alex Hales and Colin Munro (all Gold), Shadab Khan and Naseem Shah (both Platinum), Imad Wasim (Mentor) and Azam Khan (both Diamond), Faheem Ashraf (Brand Ambassador), Rumman Raees (successfully requested relegation in Silver).
The 7 Multan Sultans are Ihsanullah (Brand Ambassador, Silver), Faisal Akram (Emerging), Khushdil Shah and Usama Mir (both Diamond), Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed (both Platinum), Abbas Afridi (Gold).
Karachi Kings (8): Muhammad Akhlaq (both Silver), Muhammad Irfan Khan (Emerging), Mir Hamza (successful relegation request), James Vince and Hasan Ali (Diamond), Shan Masood (Brand Ambassador), Shoaib Malik (Mentor), and Tabraiz Shamsi (all Gold).
The Quetta Gladiators (8) are: Sarfaraz Ahmed (Brand Ambassador), Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Hasnain (Gold), Smeed (Silver), Mohammad Wasim Jr., Jason Roy, Wanindu Hasaranga (all Diamond), and Rilee Rossouw (Platinum).
Peshawar Zalmi (8): Mohammad Haris (Brand Ambassador) and Aamir Jamal (both Gold), Khurram Shahzad (Silver), Haseebullah (Emerging), Babar Azam and Rovman Powell (both Platinum), Saim Ayub and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (both Diamond).
In the top two categories were a few of the most famous foreign players:
Platinum:
James Neesham (New Zealand), Rassie van der Dussen, Imran Tahir (both South Africa), Maheesh Theekshana, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (all Sri Lanka), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (all Afghanistan), Ben Duckett, Chris Jordan, David Willey, Dawid Malan, Luke Wood, Reece Topley, Tom Curran, Tymal Mills (all England), Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal), James Neesham (New Zealand), Kieron Pollard, Romario Shepherd, Brandon King Sherfane Rutherford, and Kyle Mayers (all West Indies)
Diamond:
Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi (both Afghanistan), Ben McDermott (Australia), Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mahmudullah (all Bangladesh), Dan Lawrence, Gus Atkinson, Jordan Cox, Liam Dawson, Matthew Potts, Ollie Pope, Richard Gleeson, Sam Hain (all England), Tim Seifert, Martin Guptill, Chad Bowes (all New Zealand), George Linde, Lungi Ngidi, Reeza Hendricks, Wayne Parnell, Sisanda Magala (all South Africa), Dilshan Madushanka, Charith Asalanka, Dushmantha Chameera, Sadeera Samarawickrama (all Sri Lanka), Fabian Allen, Johnson Charles, Rahkeem Cornwall, Roston Chase, Shai Hope, Hayden Walsh (all West Indies).
