Pakistan Cricket Board has announced a complete list of category renewals for the local players for the upcoming season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) with several noteworthy names earning promotions and demotions.
PCB is the sole decider of player categories but all six franchises have the right to challenge each player’s promotions and relegation of the player before finalising up to eight retentions for the 2023 season.
Eight players have earned a bump up in categories which include Mohammad Wasim Junior (Islamabad United, from Gold to Diamond), Shahnawaz Dahani and Shan Masood (Multan Sultans, from Gold to Diamond), Haider Ali and Mohammad Haris (Peshawar Zalmi; Haider from Diamond to Platinum, Haris from Silver to Gold), and Mohammad Nawaz and Naseem Shah (Quetta Gladiators; Nawaz from Diamond to Platinum, Naseem from Gold to Diamond) Aamer Jamal (Peshawar Zalmi).
Five players have been downgraded which include Hasan Ali (from Platinum to Diamond), Faheem Ashraf (Diamond to Gold) (both Islamabad United), Sohaib Maqsood (Multan Sultans, from Diamond to Gold), Wahab Riaz (Peshawar Zalmi, Platinum to Diamond) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (Quetta Gladiators, Platinum to Gold).
PSL teams can now get to work deciding their rosters after the category renewals were announced.
The eighth season of the franchise cricket league will take place from February 9 to March 19th with Lahore Qalandars defending their title.
PSL Local category player renewals:
Islamabad United:
Asif Ali, Shadab Khan (both Platinum), Hasan Ali, Wasim Jr (both Diamond), Azam Khan, Danish Aziz, Faheem Ashraf, Musa Khan, Waqas Maqsood, Zafar Gohar, Zahid Mehmood, (all Gold), Athar Mahmood, Mohammad Akhlaq, Nasir Nawaz (all Silver), Mohammad Huraira, Mubasir Khan and Zeeshan Zamir (Emerging)
Karachi Kings:
Babar Azam, Imad Wasim (both Platinum), Mohammad Amir (Diamond), Amir Yamin, Mir Hamza, Sahibzada Farhan, Sharjeel Khan, Usman Shinwari (all Gold), Mohammad Ilyas, Muhammad Imran Jr, Rohail Nazir, Umaid Asif (all Silver), Faisal Akram, Mohammad Taha, Qasim Akram and Talha Ahsan (all Emerging)
Lahore Qalandars:
Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi (all Platinum), Mohammad Hafeez (Diamond), Abdullah Shafique (Gold), Ahmad Daniyal Latif, Akif Javed, Imran Randhawa, Kamran Ghulam, Maaz Khan, Sohail Akhtar, Zeeshan Ashraf (all Silver), Syed Faridoun Mahmood and Zaman Khan (both Emerging)
Multan Sultans:
Mohammad Rizwan (Platinum), Khushdil Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood (all Diamond), Anwar Ali, Imran Khan Snr, Rumman Raees, Sohaib Maqsood (all Gold), Rizwan Hussain (Silver), Aamer Azmat, Abbas Afridi and Ihsanullah (Emerging)
Peshawar Zalmi:
Haider Ali (Platinum), Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz (both Diamond), Aamer Jamal, Amad Butt, Arshad Iqbal, Hussain Talat, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Haris, Sohail Khan, Usman Qadir (all Gold), Ali Majid, Khalid Usman, Mohammad Amir Khan, Mohammad Umar, Salman Irshad, Sameen Gul, Tayyab Tahir (all Silver), Arish Ali Khan, Sirajuddin and Yasir Khan (Emerging)
Quetta Gladiators:
Mohammad Nawaz (Platinum), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah (all Diamond), Ahsan Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal (all Gold), Ali Imran, Ghulam Mudassar, Hassan Khan, Khurram Shahzad (all Silver), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Ashar Qureshi and Mohammad Shahzad (all Emerging)