LAHORE: Peshawar Zalmi’s owner Malik Javed Afridi finally got his favorite player and cousin brother superstar Shahid Khan Afridi in his team as first round of player draft for Pakistan Super League (PSL) completed in Lahore.
AS he drafting began earlier today, first bid was awarded to Islamabad United as per alphabetical order.
Islamabad United straight away picked Shahid Afridi from icon players’ category.
Later on, on request of Javed Afridi, Islamabad’s owner gifted Afridi to Peshawar Zalmi.
It is pertinent to mention here that Afridi himself had requested Islamabad United and Karachi Kings not to pick him as he wished to represent Peshawar’s team stating that ‘Peshawar is closed to his heart.’
It should be noted that legendary cricketer and World Cup winner captain Imran Khan is also to join Zalmi as mentor and ambassador of the franchise.
PSL Teams so far
Pakistan on December 10 announced a total of 308 top foreign and local players for drafting in its Twenty20 league, with tainted but cleared Mohammad Amir and exiled former England batsman Kevin Pietersen among them.
The selected players have been divided into five different categories – Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Emerging while Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will stage the first edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) between February 4 to 23.
PESHAWAR ZALMI
Head coach – Mohammad Akram
- Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)
- Wahab Riaz (Pakistan)
- Darren Sammy (West Indies)
- Kamran Akmal (Pakistan)
- Mohammad Hafeez (Pakistan)
- Chris Jordan (England)
- Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh)
- Junaid Khan (Pakistan)
- James Allenby (Australia)
KARACHI KINGS
Head coach – Mickey Arthur
- Shoaib Malik (Pakistan)
- Shakib al-Hassan (Bangladesh)
- Sohail Tanvir (Pakistan)
- Immad Wasim (Pakistan)
- Ravi Bopara (England)
- Lendl Simmons (West Indies)
- Mohammad Amir (Pakistan)
- Bilawal Bhatti (Pakistan)
- James Vince (England)
ISLAMABAD UNITED
Head coach – Dean Jones
- Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan)
- Andre Russel (West Indies)
- Shane Watson (Australia)
- Samuel Badree (West Indies)
- Mohammad Irfan (Pakistan)
- Brad Haddin (Australia)
- Sharjeel Khan (Pakistan)
- Mohammad Sami (Pakistan)
- Khalid Latif (Pakistan)
LAHORE QALANDARS
Head coach – Paddy Upton
- Chris Gayle (West Indies)
- Umar Akmal (Pakistan)
- Dwayne Bravo (West Indies)
- Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
- Yasir Shah (Pakistan)
- Sohaib Maqsood (Pakistan)
- Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)
- Kevon Cooper (West Indies)
- Cameron Delport (South Africa)
QUETTA GLADIATORS
Head coach – Moin Khan
- Kevin Pietersen (England)
- Ahmed Shehzad (Pakistan)
- Sarfraz Ahmed (Pakistan)
- Anwar Ali (Pakistan)
- Jason Holder (West Indies)
- Luke Wright (England)
- Zulfiqar Babar (Pakistan)
- Umar Gul (Pakistan)
- Elton Chigumbura (Zimbabwe)
Talking at the ceremony, the talented coaching panel expressed their happiness and wished all the teams for the better performance in PSL.
“It would be great for domestic players to play with international ones. And, it s not about money, it s about Cricket”, Moin Khan.
“It s great for Pakistan s cricket”, hoped Mushtaq Ahmad.
Muhammad Akram, coach of Peshawer Zalmi congratulates PCB.
On the other hand, Sri Lankan pacer and T20 skipper Lasith Malinga has pulled out of his contract with PSL, deciding to take time away to prepare for the upcoming World Twenty20.
Sharjah and Dubai will host PSL matches, designed along the lines of lucrative leagues in India and Australia.
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