Retention Players of PSL 8 announced: Babar to play in Peshawar Zalmi

In the advent of the 8^th edition of the Pakistan Super League, Karachi Kings traded their skipper Babar Azam to Peshawar Zalmi. They have done it in exchange for Haider Ali (Platinum category) and Shoaib Malik (Diamond category).

With around 2500 runs in 68 games, Babar is the tournament’s most successful batsman. Before joining Karachi Kings, the opener started out with Islamabad United. In November last year, he was also named captain of the team.

This was one of the biggest trades of the tournament. 2017 champions Peshawar Zalmi snapped Babar Azam in the Platinum category and the first pick in the supplementary round for Haider Ali and Shoaib Malik, who move to Karachi Kings. This was done before the trade and retention window closed on Friday evening.

Peshawar Zalmi’s only Platinum player is Babar Azam, who previously played for Islamabad United and Karachi Kings. Mohammad Haris, who has lightened up the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with his fearless batting, is in Gold, while Wahab Riaz and  Rutherford are in Diamond. Only Peshawar Zalmi has retained seven players.

“Shoaib Malik joins Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim in the Diamond category, while Haider is Karachi’s only player in the platinum category. In the Silver category, they have retained Sharjeel Khan, Mir Hamza and Aamir Yamin. In the Emerging category, they have retained Qasim Akram.

In the meantime, the Platinum division’s defending champions, Lahore Qalandars, have kept their captain Shaheen Afridi and Rashid Khan. David Wiese is in the Diamond category.

Khushdil Shah and Rilee Rossouw remain in the Diamond category for the Multan Sultans, who won the trophy in 2021, while Tim David and Dahani move up to the Gold category. The only retention for the franchise in the Platinum category is captain Mohammad Rizwan.

In the Platinum category, Islamabad United has decided to keep their captain Shadab Khan, who won the trophy in 2016 and 2018 respectively. Mohammad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf and Azam Khan all are in the gold category.

Mohammad Nawaz has been retained by the Quetta Gladiators in the Platinum, Jason Roy and Iftikhar Ahmed have been retained in the Diamond. The Gold bracket includes their skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed and fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain.

Here is the list of players who are retained with their teams.

Islamabad United: Khan Shadab, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Asif Ali Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, and Azam KhanPaul Stirling and Colin Munro.

Karachi Kings: Ali Haider, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Shoaib Malik, Sharjeel Khan, Mir Hamza, Amir Yamin

Lahore Qalandars: Qasim Akram, Shaheen Afridi, Rashid Khan, David Wiese, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, Harry Brook, Zaman Khan.

Multan Sultan: Muhammad Rizwan, Shan Masood, Rilee Rossouw, Khushdil Shah, Tim David, Sahnawaz Dahani, Ihsanullah and Abbas Afridi.

Peshawar Zalmi: Azam Babar, Wahab Riaz, Rutherford, Mohammad Haris, Salman Irshad, Aamir Jamal and Tom-Kohler Cadmore.

Quetta Gladiators: Mohammad Nawaz, Jason Roy, Iftikhar Ahmed, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Hasnain, Naveen ul Haq, Umar Akmal and Will Smith.