The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 7th edition draft will enable the six franchises to complete their squads for the highly anticipated T20 event in 2022, following their assigned pick order. Earlier the retention window which was closed on Friday all franchisee have confirmed their trades and retention of players in Platinum, Diamond plus mentor, Diamond, Gold, Silver and emerging categories.
Shahid Afridi has joined by Quetta Gladiator as his farewell entry.
Shahid Afridi will represent Quetta Gladiators in what will be his farewell HBL Pakistan Super League 7 after participating for Multan Sultan’s last year, it was confirmed on final day of retention window.
Also moving from the Sultans to the Gladiators is England’s James Vince. As part of this major trade, Multan Sultans will receive Quetta’s Diamond and Silver round picks.
In another significant trade, National T20 player Iftikhar Ahmed has joined the Quetta Gladiators after playing for Islamabad United in the 2021 season. In exchange, wicketkeeper/batter Azam Khan has moved from the Gladiators to Islamabad United.
Shahid Afridi: “I am excited to join Quetta Gladiators, a side that has had a roller-coaster ride in the past few events despite winning the title in 2019. In my final HBL PSL event, it will my dream and wish to sign off with another HBL PSL trophy after tasting success with Peshawar Zalmi in 2017.
“HBL PSL is an event that encourages and inspires a player to give his very best. I will use the same motivation to help my team and put up performances that can help us achieve our event objectives.”
Iftikhar Ahmed: “It has been a difficult decision to move from Islamabad United, but looking ahead to my future in T20 cricket that is linked to the Pakistan team, I thought this was the best move. I am grateful to the Islamabad United management for their support and understanding, as they have continued to stand behind me in all my decisions.
“I am thrilled to be rejoining Shahid Afridi at Quetta Gladiators after 2017, when we last played together in HBL PSL. Quetta Gladiators include a number of my contemporaries with whom I have played lot of cricket. I am sure the HBL PSL 7 will be an exciting and entertaining event, and I can make a positive impact through my batting, bowling and fielding.”
HBL PSL7 Draft favorite picks for Sunday.
The HBL PSL Draft 2022 is set to take place at the High Performance Centre in Lahore on Sunday, 12 December, starting at 3 pm. Each side will come to the draft with a maximum of eight player retentions from the last event.
The retention, trade, and release window for the HBL Pakistan Super League 2022 closed on Friday afternoon. Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, and Peshawar Zalmi utilized their full allocation of eight retentions each, while Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators retained seven players each.
The HBL PSL Player Draft 2022 will feature more than 425 players from 32 countries. In the Platinum Category, Lahore Qalandars will have the first pick, followed by Multan Sultans, Karachi Kings, Islamabad United, Peshawar Zalmi, and Quetta Gladiators.
Each franchise can have up to 18 players, including three each in the Platinum, Diamond, and Gold categories, five in Silver, two Emerging, and up to two in the Supplementary categories.
Right to Match Card
For the 2022 event, the PCB has introduced the Right to Match Card. This allows each team to reclaim a player they had previously released during the draft. Each team has one such card to use.
Multan Sultan’s Retention’s
Defending champions Multan Sultans have retained seven key players for the 2022 season. These include Mohammad Rizwan and Rilee Rossouw in the Platinum category, Imran Tahir as Diamond player and Mentor, Sohaib Maqsood also in the Diamond category, Khushdil Shah in Gold as Brand Ambassador, and both Shahnawaz Dahani and Shan Masood in the Gold category. Mohammad Rizwan, whose outstanding performances have led to his promotion to the Platinum category, is expected to continue as captain.
Multan Sultans (7) – Mohammad Rizwan, Rilee Rossouw (both Platinum), Imran Tahir (Diamond, Mentor), Sohaib Maqsood (Diamond), Khushdil Shah (Gold, Brand Ambassador), Shahnawaz Dahani and Shan Masood (both Gold)
Karachi Kings Retention’s
The Karachi Kings have retained key players for the 2022 season. World’s No.1 ranked T20I batter Babar Azam and all-rounder Mohammad Nabi will continue in the Platinum and Diamond categories, respectively. They have also retained Imad Wasim in the Platinum category, Mohammad Amir in Diamond, Joe Clarke as Gold player and Brand Ambassador, and Aamir Yamin, Sharjeel Khan, and Mohammad Ilyas in the Gold and Silver categories, respectively.
Karachi Kings (8) – Babar Azam, Imad Wasim (both Platinum), Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nabi (both Diamond), Joe Clarke (Gold, Brand Ambassador), Aamir Yamin, Sharjeel Khan (both Gold) and Mohammad Ilyas (Silver)
Islamabad United Retention’s
Islamabad United, the two-time winners, have made strategic moves in the retention process for the upcoming season. Asif Ali has been promoted to the Platinum category, joining Hasan Ali in this tier. Faheem Ashraf and Shadab Khan are retained in the Diamond category, with Shadab Khan also serving as the Brand Ambassador. Alex Hales continues as a Gold player and Team Mentor, while Azam Khan and Mohammad Wasim Jnr are retained in the Gold category. Paul Stirling remains in the Silver category.
Islamabad United (8) – Asif Ali, Hasan Ali (both Platinum), Faheem Ashraf (Diamond), Shadab Khan (Diamond, Brand Ambassador), Alex Hales (Gold, Mentor), Azam Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr (both Gold) and Paul Stirling (Silver)
Lahore Qalandars Retentions
Lahore Qalandars have secured their key players for the upcoming season, with Rashid Khan leading the pack in the platinum category. He is joined by Shaheen Shah Afridi, also retained in the platinum category. Haris Rauf, serving as the Brand Ambassador, has been retained in the Diamond category along with David Wiese and Mohammad Hafeez. The team has also retained Ahmed Daniyal, Sohail Akhtar, and Zeeshan Ashraf in the Silver category.
Lahore Qalandars (8) – Rashid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi (both Platinum), Haris Rauf (Diamond, Brand Ambassador), David Wiese, Mohammad Hafeez (both Diamond), Ahmed Daniyal, Sohail Akhtar and Zeeshan Ashraf (all Silver)
Peshawar Zalmi Retentions
Peshawar Zalmi has solidified their squad with key retentions, including Liam Livingstone and Wahab Riaz in the Platinum category. Their Diamond category includes Haider Ali, Sherfane Rutherford, and Shoaib Malik. Saqib Mahmood, serving as the Brand Ambassador, has been retained in the Gold category, while Tom Kohler-Cadmore remains in the Silver category. Additionally, they have acquired Hussain Talat from Islamabad United in exchange for a Gold pick, finalizing their retention of eight players.
Peshawar Zalmi (8) – Liam Livingstone, Wahab Riaz (both Platinum), Haider Ali, Sherfane Rutherford, Shoaib Malik (all Diamond), Hussain Talat (Gold), Saqib Mahmood (Gold, Brand Ambassador) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Silver)
Quetta Gladiators Retentions
2019 champions Quetta Gladiators have retained four players from the 2021 tournament. They are: Sarfaraz Ahmed (Platinum), Mohammad Nawaz (Diamond), Mohammad Hasnain (Gold, Brand Ambassador) and Naseem Shah (Gold). In addition, the Gladiators had earlier brought in Shahid Afridi (Gold, Mentor), James Vince (Platinum) and Iftikhar Ahmed (Diamond) to their roster during the transfer and retention window.
Quetta Gladiators (7) – James Vince, Sarfaraz Ahmed (both Platinum), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz (both Diamond), Shahid Afridi (Gold, Mentor), Mohammad Hasnain (Gold, Brand Ambassador) and Naseem Shah (Gold)
Remaining picks (each side will comprise a maximum of 18 players):
Teams Platinum Diamond Gold Silver Emerging Supplementary
Islamabad United 1 1 0 4 2 up to 2
Karachi Kings 1 1 0 4 2 up to 2
Lahore Gladiators 1 0 3 2 2 up to 2
Multan Sultans 1 1 0 5 2 up to 2
Peshawar Zalmi 1 0 1 4 2 up to 2
Quetta Gladiators 1 1 0 5 2 up to 2
International stars available in the HBL PSL Draft 2022:
Platinum – David Miller (South Africa), Carlos Brathwaite (West Indies), Chris Gayle (West Indies), Chris Jordan (England), Colin Munro (New Zealand), Colin Ingram (South Africa), David Willey (England), Isuru Udana (Sri Lanka), Jason Roy (England), Marchant De Lange (South Africa), Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal), Shimron Hetmyer (West Indies), Tabraiz Shamsi (South Africa), Thisara Perera (Sri Lanka), Tom Banton (England) and Tymal Mills (England).
Diamond – Afsar Zazai (Afghanistan), Ben Dunk (Australia), Bhanuka Rajapaksa (Sri Lanka), Blessing Muzarabani (Zimbabwe), Fabian Allen (West Indies), Hamid Hassan (Afghanistan), Hazratullah Zazai (Afghanistan), James Faulkner (Australia), Joe Clarke (England), Johnson Charles (West Indies), Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka), Lendl Simmons (West Indies), Lewis Gregory (England), Mahmudullah Riyad (Bangladesh), Mitchell McClenaghan (New Zealand), Najibullah Zadran (Afghanistan), Naveenul Haq (Afghanistan), Niroshan Dickwella (Sri Lanka), Ollie Robinson (England), Phil Salt (England), Qais Ahmad (Afghanistan), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan), Reece Topley (England), Samit Patel (England) and Sheldon Cottrell (West Indies).