LAHORE – Pakistan Super League 7 (PSL7) draft ceremony of selecting 425 players out of 32 countries all across the globe took place on Sunday.
The Mega event will start from 27 January during which 34 matches will be played. According to the drafting policy every team will be allowed to retain 8 players. Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi decided 8 players each; meanwhile, Quetta Gladiators and Multan Sultans finalized 7 players so far. Moreover, in every franchise’s 18 main squad three players from Platinum, Diamond and Gold categories will be added.
In every team 5 players from silver, 2 from emerging and 2 from supplementary category will be selected. The franchise was directed to follow the recommendations and select the players accordingly.
In the platinum category Lahore Qalandars is at first pick. Multan Sultans at second, Karachi Kings at third, Islamabad United at fourth, Peshawar Zalmi at fifth and Quetta Gladiators at sixth.
Ramiz Raja
While addressing the PSL7 draft ceremony, Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that the relationship between franchise owners and cricket board is significant.
He added that PCB aims to make PSL7 most successful league across the world. He went on to extend gratitude to all franchises and sponsors for their efforts.
Drafting
Defending champions Multan Sultans selected Australia’s Tim David, who was previously with Lahore Qalandars, in the Platinum Category, while their other notable picks included West Indian duo of Odean Smith and Rovman Powell, and Pakistan trio of Anwar Ali, Imran Khan Snr and Rumman Raees.
These players will join Imran Tahir, Mohammad Rizwan, Khushdil Shah, Rilee Rossouw, Shan Masood, Shahnawaz Dahani and Sohaib Maqsood who were retained earlier in the week for the seventh edition of the tournament that will be played in Karachi from 27 January to 7 February and 10-27 February in Lahore.
England all-rounder Chris Jordan has returned to Karachi Kings in the Platinum Category after missing the 2021 campaign. The side also opted for England’s Lewis Gregory and Tom Abell, as well as Pakistan U19 captain Qasim Akram.
These players will join Aamir Yamin, Babar Azam, Imad Wasim, Joe Clarke, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Nabi and Sharjeel Khan were retained by the Kings on Friday.
Lahore Qalandars included Pakistan’s flamboyant batter Fakhar Zaman for the sixth successive year in Platinum Category, while also picking Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam (both Pakistan) and England’s pair of Harry Brook, Phil Salt. They will be in greens alongside Ahmed Daniyal, David Wiese, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hafeez, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sohail Akhtar and Zeeshan Ashraf. These players were retained by the franchisee on Friday.
Islamabad United have kept faith in Colin Munro of New Zealand in the Platinum Category and also picked Danish Aziz, Marchant de Lange, Reece Topley and Zafar Gohar. They will join Asif Ali, Alex Hales, Azam Khan, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Paul Stirling and Shadab Khan.
Explosive Afghanistan opener Hazratullah Zarzai and swashbuckling England opener Jason Roy were picked up by Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators, respectively.
2017 champions Zalmi also picked fast bowler Arshad Iqbal, wicketkeeper/batter Kamran Akmal and wrist-spinner Usman Qadir, while 2019 winners Gladiators also scooped Afghanistan fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq, Quetta-born Pakistan U19 batter Abdul Wahid Bangalzai and seasoned white-ball players Sohail Tanvir and Umar Akmal.
Final squads (in alphabetical order):
Islamabad United (Sunday’s picks) – Colin Munro (New Zealand, Platinum), Marchant de Lange (South Africa) (Diamond), Danish Aziz, Muhammad Akhlaq (both Pakistan), Reece Topley (England), , Zafar Gohar (Pakistan) (all Silver), Mubasir Khan, Zeeshan Zameer (Emerging), Athar Mehmood (Pakistan) and Rehmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan) (both Supplementary)
Final squad: Asif Ali, Colin Munro, Hasan Ali (both Platinum), Faheem Ashraf, Marchant De Lange, Shadab Khan (Brand Ambassador), Alex Hales (Mentor), Azam Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr (all Gold), Danish Aziz, Mohammad Akhlaq, Paul Stirling, Reece Topley, Zafar Gohar (all Silver), Mubasir Khan, Zeeshan Zameer (both Emerging), Rehmanullah Gurbaz and Ather Mehmood (both Supplementary)
Karachi Kings (Sunday’s picks) – Chris Jordan (England, Platinum), Lewis Gregory (England, Diamond), Mohammad Imran, Rohail Nazir (both Pakistan), Tom Abell (England), Umaid Asif (Pakistan) (all Silver), Faisal Akram, Qasim Akram (both Emerging), Romario Shepherd (West Indies) and Talha Ahsan (both Supplementary)
Final squad: Babar Azam, Chris Jordan, Imad Wasim (all Platinum), Mohammad Amir, Lewis Gregory, Mohammad Nabi (all Diamond), Joe Clarke (Brand Ambassador), Aamir Yamin, Sharjeel Khan (all both Gold), Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Imran, Rohail Nazir, Tom Abell, Umaid Asif (all Silver), Faisal Akram, Qasim Akram (Emerging), Romario Shepherd and Talha Ahsan (both Supplementary)
Lahore Qalandars (Sunday’s picks) – Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan, Platinum), Abdullah Shafique (Pakistan), Harry Brook, Phil Salt (both England) (all Gold), Dean Foxcroft (South Africa), Kamran Ghulam (Pakistan) (both silver), Maaz Khan, Zaman Khan (both Emerging), Samit Patel and Syed Faridoum Mehmood (Pakistan) (England) (Supplementary)
Final squad: Fakhar Zaman, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, (all Platinum), Haris Rauf (Diamond, Brand Ambassador), David Wiese, Mohammad Hafeez (both Diamond), Abdullah Shafique, Harry Brook, Phil Salt (all Gold), Ahmed Daniyal, Dean Foxcroft, Sohail Akhtar, Kamran Ghulam, Zeeshan Ashraf (all Silver), Maaz Khan, Zaman Khan (both Emerging), Samit Patel and Syed Faridoum Mehmood (Supplementary)
Multan Sultans (Sunday’s picks) – Tim David (Australia, Platinum), Odean Smith (West Indies, Diamond), Asif Afridi, Anwar Ali, Imran Khan Snr, Rumman Raees (all Pakistan), Rovman Powell (West Indies) (all Silver), Aamer Azmat, Abbas Afridi (both Emerging), Blessing Muzarabani (Zimbabwe) and Ihsanullah (Pakistan) (Supplementary)
Final squad: Tim David, Mohammad Rizwan, Rilee Rossouw (all Platinum), Imran Tahir (Mentor), Odean Smith (both Diamond), Sohaib Maqsood (Diamond), Khushdil Shah (Brand Ambassador), Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood (all Gold), Anwar Ali, Asif Afridi, Imran Khan Snr, Rumman Raees Rovman Powell (all Silver), Aamer Azmat, Abbas Afridi (both Emerging), Blessing Muzarabani and Ihsanullah (Supplementary)
Peshawar Zalmi (Sunday’s picks) – Hazratullah Zazai (Afghanistan, Platinum), Usman Qadir (Pakistan, Gold), Arshad Iqbal, Kamran Akmal, Salman Irshad, Sameen Gul (all Pakistan) (all Silver), Sirajuddin, Mohammad Aamer (Emerging), Ben Cutting (Australia) and Mohammad Haris (Pakistan) (both Supplementary)
Final squad: Hazratulah Zazai, Liam Livingstone, Wahab Riaz (all Platinum), Haider Ali, Sherfane Rutherford, Shoaib Malik (all Diamond), Hussain Talat (Gold), Saqib Mahmood (Gold, Brand Ambassador),, Usman Qadir (Gold), Arshad Iqbal, Kamran Akmal (Mentor), Salman Irshad, Sameen Gul, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (all Silver), Mohammad Aamer, Sirajuddin (Emerging), Ben Cutting and Mohammad Haris (both Supplementary)
Quetta Gladiators (Sunday’s picks) – Jason Roy (England, Platinum), James Faulkner (Australia, Diamond), Ben Duckett (England), Khurram Shehzad (Pakistan), Naveen-ul-Haq (Afghanistan), Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal (both Pakistan) (Silver), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Ashar Qureshi, (Emerging), Ahsan Ali (Pakistan) and Noor Ahmed (Pakistan) (Supplementary)
Final squad: James Vince, Jason Roy, Sarfaraz Ahmed (all Platinum), Iftikhar Ahmed, James Faulkner, Mohammad Nawaz (all Diamond), Shahid Afridi (Mentor), Mohammad Hasnain (Brand Ambassador), Naseem Shah (all Gold), Ben Duckett, Khurram Shehzad, Naveen-Ul-Haq, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal (all Silver), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Ashar Qureshi (Emerging), Ahsan Ali and Noor Ahmed (Supplementary).
