Key players set to part ways with their PSL franchises

The time has come for key cricketers to part ways with their franchises in the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL). The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has finalized the list of player retentions, and no franchise has raised an objection.

Islamabad United will have to release Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, and Imad Wasim if they want to retain Shadab Khan. Lahore Qalandars, while keeping captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, will be forced to let go of Fakhar Zaman and Haris Rauf. Peshawar Zalmi also faces a tough choice between retaining Babar Azam or Saim Ayub.

According to details, PSL 11 will feature two new teams — Hyderabad and Sialkot. To allow these teams a fair chance to acquire top players, the PCB has made changes to the rules. Previously, each franchise was allowed to retain eight players, but now each team can retain only four players from the previous season — one each from the Platinum, Diamond, Gold, and Silver categories.

In earlier seasons, teams could retain more players as mentors, brand ambassadors, or through the “Right to Match” rule, but this system has now been abolished. Consequently, every team will lose several key players.

The PCB has finalized the retention list. Some franchises initially intended to object but later withdrew their reservations.

Islamabad United: Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, and Imad Wasim are in the Platinum category — only one can be retained. Azam Khan, Haider Ali, Salman Irshad, and Rumman Raees are in Gold; Mohammad Faiq and Haneen Shah in Silver; Saad Masood, Mohammad Shehzad, and Ghazi Ghori in Emerging.

Karachi Kings: Hasan Ali is the only player in Platinum; Abbas Afridi and Shan Masood are in Diamond. Khushdil Shah, Aamir Jamal, Irfan Khan Niazi, Mir Hamza, Zahid Mahmood, Umair Bin Yousuf, Shahnawaz Dahani, and Irfan Minhas are in Gold; Mirza Mamoon Imtiaz in Silver; Riazullah, Fawad Ali, and Saad Baig in Emerging.

Lahore Qalandars: Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, and Haris Rauf are in Platinum — keeping their captain means losing the other two long-time players. Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Salman Mirza are in Diamond; Zaman Khan, Jahandad Khan, Asif Afridi, and Asif Ali in Gold; Mohammad Iqhlaq, Mohammad Naeem, and Mohammad Azb in Silver; Momin Qamar in Emerging.

Peshawar Zalmi: Must choose between Babar Azam and Saim Ayub (both in Platinum). Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Ali, Abdul Samad, Hussain Talat, Ahmed Daniyal, and Ehsanullah are in Gold; Sufiyan Muqeem is in Diamond; Arif Yaqoob and Mehran Mumtaz are in Silver; Abdullah Fazal, Ali Raza, and Muaz Sadaqat are in Emerging.

Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan is in Platinum; Usama Mir, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Usman Khan in Diamond; Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Faisal Akram, Aqif Javed, and Tayyab Tahir in Gold; Yasir Khan, Amir Barki, Mohammad Junaid, Humayun Altaf, Ali Imran, Jahanzeb Sultan, and Ubaid Shah in Silver; Shahid Aziz and Mohammad Zulfiqar in Emerging.

Quetta Gladiators: Mohammad Amir, Faheem Ashraf, and Abrar Ahmed are in Platinum — only one can stay. Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Wasim Jr., and Usman Tariq in Diamond; Khurram Shahzad, Haseebullah Khan, Khawaja Mohammad Nafe, Hassan Nawaz, and Danish Aziz in Gold; Ali Majid in Silver; Mohammad Zeeshan and Shamil Hussain in Emerging.