The teams for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023 were finalized today (Thursday), and all six franchises are gearing up for next year’s edition.
Sri Lanka’s 2022 Asia Cup winning pair Wanindu Hasaringa and Bhanuka Rajapakse will start the PSL alongside England and Australia’s ICC T20 Men’s World Cup winners Adil Rashid and Matthew Wade respectively.
New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham and South Africa’s Tabriz Shamsi will also make their tournament debuts in the eighth edition of the tournament, which will be held in four cities from February 13 to March 19, 2023.
Hasringa was picked by 2019 champions Quetta Gladiators, 2017 winners Peshawar Zalmi scooped up Raja Pakse, while Wade was picked by 2020 champions Karachi Kings in PSL Player Draft 2023. All three were selected in the platinum category.
In a 129-match T20 career, Hasringa took 129 wickets at an economy rate of 6.72, while in 52 T20Is, the spinner took 86 wickets.
Hard-hitting batsman Rajapaksa has an identical strike rate of 135 in 35 T20Is and 143 T20s, while Wade has a strike rate of 132 and 135 in T20I and T20 cricket respectively.
Neesham, who was part of New Zealand’s squad for the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups, became Zalmi after impressing the franchise with a strike rate of 142 in 210 T20Is and 688 runs in 60 T20Is. A rate of 159.6
Multan Sultans lost Imran Tahir to Karachi Kings but included Adil Rashid, who took 93 wickets in 92 T20Is at an economy rate of 7.42, while he took 255 wickets in 233 T20Is at an economy rate of 7.43. why
Shamsi was selected by Karachi Kings. The left-arm spin bowler has played 59 T20Is in which he has taken 73 wickets while he has taken 225 wickets in 192 T20Is. All three players were selected in the supplementary round.
The draft also saw four teenagers, who excelled in the Pakistan Junior League, being selected by four different franchises.
Amil Khan of Mardan Warriors was selected by Quetta Gladiators, Arafat Minhas of Gwadar Sharks was selected by Multan Sultans, Haseebullah of Mardan Warriors was selected by Peshawar Zalmi and Chavez Irfan of Bahawalpur Royals was selected by Lahore Qalandars.
The 36 foreign players included in the draft were from 10 T20 playing countries, including Afghanistan (five), Australia (three), England (10), Ireland (two), Namibia (one), New Zealand (four), South Africa included. (four), Sri Lanka (two), West Indies (four) and Zimbabwe (one).
Squads
Islamabad United: Alex Hales (England), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan), Shadab Khan (all Platinum), Asif Ali, Fazal Haq Farooqi (Afghanistan), Wasim Jr (all Diamond), Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali (all Gold), Abrar Ahmed, Colin Munro (New Zealand), Paul Stirling (Ireland), Rumman Raees, Sohaib Maqsood (all Silver), Hassan Nawaz, Zeeshan Zamir (both Emerging). Moeen Ali (England) and Mubasir Khan (Supplementary)
Karachi Kings: Haider Ali, Imran Tahir (South Africa), Matthew Wade (Australia) (all Platinum), Imad Wasim, James Fuller (New Zealand), James Vince (both England) (all Diamond), Andrew Tye (Australia), Mohammad Amir, Shoaib Malik (all Gold), Aamer Yamin, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Akhlaq, Sharjeel Khan, Tayyab Tahir (all Silver), Irfan Khan Niazi, Qasim Akram (both Emerging). Mohammad Umar and Tabraiz Shamsi (South Africa) (Supplementary)
Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Shaheen Shah Afridi (all Platinum), Dawid Wiese (Namibia), Hussain Talat, Haris Rauf (all Diamond), Abdullah Shafique, Liam Dawson (England), Sikander Raza (Zimbabwe) (all Gold), Ahmad Daniyal, Dilbar Hussain, Harry Brook (England), Kamran Ghulam, Mirza Tahir Baig (all Silver), Shawaiz Irfan, Zaman Khan (both Emerging). Jalat Khan and Jordan Cox (England) (both Supplementary)
Multan Sultans: David Miller (South Africa), Josh Little (Ireland), Mohammad Rizwan (all Platinum), Khushdil Shah, Rilee Rossouw (South Africa), Shan Masood (all Diamond), Akeal Hosein (West Indies), Shahnawaz Dahani, Tim David (Australia) (all Gold), Anwar Ali, Sameen Gul, Sarwar Afridi, Usama Mir, Usman Khan (both Silver), Abbas Afridi, Ihsanullah (both Emerging). Adil Rashid (England) and Arafat Minhas (Supplementary).
Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam, Rovman Powell (West Indies), Bhanuka Rajapaksa (Sri Lanka), (all Platinum), Mujeeb Ur Rehman (Afghanistan), Sherfane Rutherford (West Indies), Wahab Riaz (all Diamond), Arshad Iqbal, Danish Aziz, Mohammad Haris (all Gold), Aamer Jamal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (England), Saim Ayub, Salman Irshad, Usman Qadir (all Silver), Haseebullah Khan, Sufyan Muqeem (both Emerging). Jimmy Neesham (New Zealand) (Supplementary). Peshawar Zalmi will pick their second Supplementary at the Replacement Draft.
Quetta Gladiators: Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka) (all Platinum), Iftikhar Ahmed, Jason Roy (England), Odean Smith (West Indies) (all Diamond), Ahsan Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Sarfaraz Ahmed (all Gold), Mohammad Zahid, Naveen-ul-Haq (Afghanistan), Umar Akmal, Umaid Asif, Will Smeed (England) (all Silver), Aimal Khan, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (both Emerging). Martin Guptill (New Zealand) and Omair Bin Yousuf (Supplementary).
