is Experimental see disclaimer
Edge of Times
Edge of Times

Pakistan Super League Faces Exciting Changes Ahead of HBL PSL 2025 Draft

Updated :

Ahead of the HBL PSL 2025 players' draft, all six franchises of the Pakistan Super League have confirmed their player retentions, deciding on who will stay and who will be bid for in the upcoming auction. As the teams look to strengthen their squads, several star players have been retained, while others have been reassigned to higher or lower categories, setting the stage for an exciting new season.

Among the teams, Islamabad United, Quetta Gladiators, and Lahore Qalandars made full use of the maximum eight-player retention limit, while the other three franchises, Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans, and Peshawar Zalmi, retained seven players each. The retained players have been divided into four categories: Platinum, Diamond, Gold, and Silver, indicating their perceived value and the amount of bid required to secure their services. The majority of the retained players are among the top-ranked stars in Pakistan cricket. Islamabad United retained Shadab Khan and Naseem Shah in Platinum, along with Imad Wasim and Azam Khan in Diamond. This move is seen as a sign of confidence in their ability to still be among the best teams in the league. In comparison, Quetta Gladiators chose to retain Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, and Rilee Rossouw in Diamond, solidifying their pace attack and overseas batting depth. Karachi Kings, who have faced heavy criticisms for underperforming last season, have started rebuilding their team by retaining few key players for the upcoming season. The team has also reassigned Abdullah Shafique, a top-order batsman, to the Silver category from the Diamond category. Multan Sultans, the early favorites to win the title, have also retained some key players and got their pace bowling contingent strengthened with the retention of David Willey as mentor in Platinum. They also retained Iftikhar Ahmed and Usman Khan in Diamond. However, most of their retained players faced major doubts surrounding their consistency, especially the off-spinner Usama Mir and batting all-rounder Faisal Akram whose batting is mostly struggling at international and domestic level.

Peshawar Zalmi's management team, on the other hand, appears to have reassessed their strategy for the next season. While retaining Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Haris in Platinum, they seem to be rebuilding their team by bringing in more young talent they want to experiment with in the League.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will conduct a players' draft on January 11 to complete the teams' squads ahead of the HBL PSL 2025 season. Given the changes and unexpected moves, the upcoming season promises to be highly competitive, as each team is balancing to put together the ideal mix of youth and experience to outwit their competition.

Similar Posts