Top Players to Exit Their PSL Teams
The HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) is undergoing significant changes as top players prepare to leave their teams ahead of the upcoming season. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has released the finalized retention list, which has been met with no objections from the franchises.
Key Player Exits in the PSL
Major franchises must make tough decisions regarding their player lineups. Notable departures include:
- Islamabad United: To retain Shadab Khan, the franchise will release Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, and Imad Wasim.
- Lahore Qalandars: While captain Shaheen Shah Afridi is retained, the team will part with Fakhar Zaman and Haris Rauf.
- Peshawar Zalmi: A crucial choice lies ahead as they decide between Babar Azam and Saim Ayub for retention.
Changes to Retention Rules
For PSL 11, two new teams, Hyderabad and Sialkot, are being introduced. To provide these teams a fair opportunity, the PCB has updated retention regulations. Previously, franchises could hold on to eight players; this limit has now been reduced to four. Teams must now retain one player from each category: Platinum, Diamond, Gold, and Silver.
This overhaul eliminates the previous allowance for more retainers as mentors or through the “Right to Match” rule. Consequently, almost all franchises will lose key players, changing the dynamics of the league.
Retention Lists by Franchise
Islamabad United
- Platinum: Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Imad Wasim (only one can stay).
- Gold: Azam Khan, Haider Ali, Salman Irshad, Rumman Raees
- Silver: Mohammad Faiq, Haneen Shah
- Emerging: Saad Masood, Mohammad Shehzad, Ghazi Ghori
Karachi Kings
- Platinum: Hasan Ali
- Diamond: Abbas Afridi, Shan Masood
- Gold: Khushdil Shah, Aamir Jamal, Irfan Khan Niazi, Mir Hamza, Zahid Mahmood, Umair Bin Yousuf, Shahnawaz Dahani, Irfan Minhas
- Silver: Mirza Mamoon Imtiaz
- Emerging: Riazullah, Fawad Ali, Saad Baig
Lahore Qalandars
- Platinum: Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf (only one remains).
- Diamond: Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Salman Mirza
- Gold: Zaman Khan, Jahandad Khan, Asif Afridi, Asif Ali
- Silver: Mohammad Iqhlaq, Mohammad Naeem, Mohammad Azb
- Emerging: Momin Qamar
Peshawar Zalmi
- Platinum: Choose between Babar Azam and Saim Ayub.
- Gold: Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Ali, Abdul Samad, Hussain Talat, Ahmed Daniyal, Ehsanullah
- Diamond: Sufiyan Muqeem
- Silver: Arif Yaqoob, Mehran Mumtaz
- Emerging: Abdullah Fazal, Ali Raza, Muaz Sadaqat
Multan Sultans
- Platinum: Mohammad Rizwan
- Diamond: Usama Mir, Iftikhar Ahmed, Usman Khan
- Gold: Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Faisal Akram, Aqif Javed, Tayyab Tahir
- Silver: Yasir Khan, Amir Barki, Mohammad Junaid, Humayun Altaf, Ali Imran, Jahanzeb Sultan, Ubaid Shah
- Emerging: Shahid Aziz, Mohammad Zulfiqar
Quetta Gladiators
- Platinum: Mohammad Amir, Faheem Ashraf, Abrar Ahmed (one must go).
- Diamond: Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Usman Tariq
- Gold: Khurram Shahzad, Haseebullah Khan, Khawaja Mohammad Nafe, Hassan Nawaz, Danish Aziz
- Silver: Ali Majid
- Emerging: Mohammad Zeeshan, Shamil Hussain
The upcoming PSL season is set to be dynamic and competitive with these changes, setting the stage for new player acquisitions and team strategies.
