Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga, Australia Matthew Wade and others are set to make their HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) debuts when the eighth edition will begin from February 13.

The tournament will be played in Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi with final is set to take place on March 19 at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Other notice able names include Sri Lanka’s Bhanuka Rajapaksa, England’s Adil Rashid, New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham and Tabraiz Shamsi of South Africa.

Hasaranga was picked up by 2019 champions Quetta Gladiators, 2017 winners Peshawar Zalmi scooped Rajapaksa, while Wade was chosen by 2020 champions Karachi Kings in the HBL PSL Player Draft 2023, which was held here on Thursday. The trio were picked in the Platinum Category.

Neesham, who was part of New Zealand’s squad for the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups, became a Zalmi, Multan Sultans lost Imran Tahir to Karachi Kings but roped in Adil Rashid.

Shamsi was picked by Karachi Kings.

The draft also saw four teenagers, who excelled at the Pakistan Junior League, picked by four different franchises. Mardan Warriors’ Aimal Khan was selected by Quetta Gladiators, Arafat Minhas of Gwadar Sharks was picked by Multan Sultans, Mardan Warriors’ Haseebullah was snapped up by Peshawar Zalmi and Shawaiz Irfan of Bahawalpur Royals was selected by Lahore Qalandars.

The 36 foreign players picked up in the draft were from 10 T20I playing countries, including Afghanistan (five), Australia (three), England (10), Ireland (two), Namibia (one), New Zealand (four), South Africa (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).

Draft Updates:

That is the wrap from the draft… Hope you have enjoyed our live coverage.

Supplementary picks:

Round 1

James Neesham (Peshawar Zalmi)

Adil Rasheed (Multan Sultans)

Martin Guptil (Quetta Gladiators)

Jordan Cox (Lahore Qalandars)

Moeen Ali (Islamabad United)

Tabraiz Shamsi (Karachi Kings)

Jallat Khan (Lahore Qalandars)

Arafat Minhas (Multan Sultans)

Mohammad Umar (Karachi Kings)

Mubasir Khan (Islamabad United)

Emerging category:

Round 1

Irfan Ullah Niazi (Karachi Kings)

Sufiyan Muqeem (Peshawar Zalmi)

Zeeshan Zamir (Islamabad United)

Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Quetta Gladiators)

Shawaiz Irfan (Lahore Qalandars)

Round 2

Hasan Nawaz (Islamabad United)

Haseebullah Khan (Peshawar Zalmi)

Aimal Khan (Quetta Gladiators)

Silver category:

Round 1

Abrar Ahmed (Islamabad United)

Umaid Asif (Quetta Gladiators)

Tayyab Tahir (Karachi Kings)

Usama Mir (Multan Sultans)

Saim Ayub (Peshawar Zalmi)

Dilbar Hussain (Lahore (Qalandars)

Round 2

Usman Qadir (Peshawar Zalmi)

Sohaib Maqsood (Islamabad United)

Usman Khan (Multan Sultans)

Mohammad Akhlaq (Karachi Kings)

Mirza Tahir Baig (Lahore Qalandar)

Mohammad Zahid (Quetta Gladiators)

Round 3

Ahmed Daniyal (Lahore Qalandars)

Sameen Gul (Multan Sultans)

Rumman Raees (Islamabad United)

Anwar Ali (Multan Sultans)

Mohammad Sarwar Afridi (Multan Sultans)

Gold category:

Round 1

Danish Aziz (Peshawar Zalami)

Ahsan Ali (Quetta Gladiators)

Sikandar Raza (Lahore Qalandars)

Akeal Hosein (Multan Sultans)

Andrew Tye (Karachi Kings)

Round 2

Liam Dowson (Lahore Qalandars)

Arshad Iqbal (Peshawar Zalmi)

Diamond category:

Fazalhaq Farooqi (Islamabad United)

Mujeeb ur Rahman (Peshawar Zalmi)

Hussain Talat (Lahore Qalandars)

Odean Smith (Quetta Gladiators)

James Vince (Karachi Kings)

James Fuller (Karachi Kings)

Platinum category: :

Round 1:

Fakhar Zaman (Lahore Qalandars)

Wanindu Hasaranga (Quetta Gladiators)

Naseem Shah (Quetta Gladiators) – He was picked as a wild card pick by Multan Sultan, but Gladiators used the right to match to retain him.

David Miller (Multan Sultans)

Mathew Wade (Karachi Kings)

Alex Hales (Islamabad United)

Bhanuka Rajapaksa (Peshawar Zalmi)

Round 2:

Rovman Powell (Peshawar Zalmi)

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Islamabad United)

Imran Tahir (Karachi Kings)

Josh Little (Multan Sultans) – The 2021 champions used their wild card to pick him in the platinum category.

Let have a look at retentions of all six franchises:

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman unveiled the official hashtag for the season eight:

As many as over 500 foreign players have registered themselves for the draft. The players’ draft is being held in Karachi at the DHA Golf club.

Some highlights during the picks will be: Aaron Finch, Matthew Wade, Shakib al Hasan, Alex Hales, David Willey, Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali, Jimmy Neesham, David Miller, Adil Rasheed, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kieron Pollard, Mujeeb ur Rehman, Mohammad Nabi, Martin Guptil, Lungi Ngidi, Colin De Grandhomme , Imran Tahir, Saqib Mehmood, James Vince, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiq ur Rahim, Hazratullah Zazai, Will Jacks, Reeza Hendricks, Shai Hope, Sikandar Raza, Fawad Ahmed, Carlos Brathwaite Junior Dala and Temba Bavuma.