Pakistan all-format captain and the most successful batter in the historyof the tournament, Babar Azam, will don Peshawar Zalmi colours in theeighth edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League.
In one of the biggest trades of the tournament, 2017 champions PeshawarZalmi snapped Babar in the Platinum category and the first pick in thesupplementary round for Haider Ali and Shoaib Malik who move to KarachiKings, the winners of the 2020 edition, in Platinum and Diamond categories,respectively, before the trade and retention window closed on Fridayevening.
During the trade and retention window, a side can assemble up to eightplayers before the HBL PSL Player Draft, in which it can increase the squadside to 18 players – three each in Platinum, Diamond and Gold categories,five Silver, two Emerging and up to two Supplementary categories.
Babar Azam, who was at Islamabad United before moving to Karachi Kings, isthe only player in Platinum category for Peshawar Zalmi. Wahab Riaz andSherfane Rutherford are in Diamond, while Mohammad Haris, who has lightenedup 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 Shoaibjoins Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir in the Diamond. They have retainedSharjeel Khan, Mir Hamza and Aamir Yamin in the Silver category and QasimAkram in the Emerging.
Lahore Qalandars, the defending champions, have kept retained ShaheenAfridi, their captain, and Rashid Khan in the Platinum category.All-rounder David Wiese stays in Diamond category. While Lahore haveretained seven players, they will announce their eighth retention in duecourse.
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Multan Sultans, the winners of the 2021 edition and the finalists in thelast one, have retained middle-order batters Khushdil Shah and RileeRossouw in Diamond category and Tim David in Gold. Their captain MohammadRizwan, the highest run getter in T20 Internationals since the beginning of2021 and the player of HBL PSL 2021, is their only retention in thePlatinum. Fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani, named Multan Sultans’ BrandAmbassador, he joins David in Gold category.
Islamabad United, the winners of the inaugural and third editions in 2016and 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 theBrand Ambassador and Mohammad Wasim Jnr. Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf and HasanAli will continue with United in Gold.
Quetta Gladiators have retained Mohammad Nawaz, who has been with themsince the inaugural edition, in the Platinum. Jason Roy and Iftikhar Ahmedare retained in Diamond category. Their captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and MohammadHasnain (Brand Ambassador) are in the Gold category.
As it was last year, each of the six sides will have the Right to MatchCard that will allow them to pick any player released from their rosterduring the draft.
