Hasaranga, Neesham, Rajapaksa, Adil, Shamsi, Wade to make HBL PSL debut in 2023
After shining in the Pakistan Junior League, Aimal Khan, Arafat Minhas, and Shawaiz Irfan were selected; 10 countries will be represented in the eighth season of the HBL PSL.
Wanindu Hasaranga and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, the 2022 Asia Cup champions from Sri Lanka, Adil Rashid and Matthew Wade, the winners of the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup from England and Australia, Jimmy Neesham, an all-rounder from New Zealand, and Tabraiz Shamsi of South Africa will all make their HBL Pakistan Super League debuts in the tournament’s eighth edition, which will take place in four cities from 13 February to 19 March 20
Rajapaksa was selected by the 2017 winners Peshawar Zalmi, Hasaranga by the 2019 champions Quetta Gladiators, and Wade by the 2020 champions Karachi Kings in the HBL PSL Player Draft 2023, which was held here on Thursday. The group was chosen for the Platinum Category.
Hasaranga has taken 86 wickets in 52 T20Is throughout the course of his 129-match T20 career, good for an economy rate of 6.71. Rajapaksa, a powerful hitter, has a strike rate of 135 in 35 Twenty20 Internationals and 143 Twenty20s, while Wade has a strike rate of 132 and 136 in Twenty20 International and Twenty20 cricket, respectively.
Neesham impressed the franchise with his 2,934 runs in 217 T20 matches at a strike-rate of 142 and 688 runs in 60 T20Is at a strike-rate of 159.6. Neesham was a member of New Zealand’s team for the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups. Adil Rashid, who has taken 255 wickets in 233 T20 matches with an economy rate of 7.43, has replaced Imran Tahir, who was traded to Karachi Kings by Multan Sultans. Adil Rashid has 93 wickets in 92 T20I matches with an economy rate of 7.42.
Karachi Kings decided to choose Shamsi. The left-arm wrist-spinner has accumulated 225 wickets in 192 T20 matches while playing in 59 T20Is and taking 73 wickets. In the Supplementary round, the three players were chosen.
Three youngsters who succeeded in the Pakistan Junior League were selected in the draught by three separate teams. Aimal Khan of the Mardan Warriors was chosen by the Quetta Gladiators, Arafat Minhas of the Gwadar Sharks by the Multan Sultans, and Shawaiz Irfan of the Bahawalpur Royals by the Lahore Qalandars.
Afghanistan (five), Australia (three), England (ten), Ireland (two), Namibia (one), New Zealand (four), South Africa (four), Sri Lanka (two), the West Indies (four), and Zimbabwe were among the ten T20I-playing nations represented by the 36 foreign players selected in the draught (one).
Teams (with names of international players in brackets):
Alex Hales of England, Rahmanullah Gurbaz of Afghanistan, Shadab Khan of Pakistan (all Platinum), Asif Ali, Fazal Haq Farooqi of Afghanistan, Wasim Jr. of Ireland (all Diamond), Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali of Pakistan (all Gold), Abrar Ahmed of New Zealand, Colin Munro of New Zealand, Paul Stirling of Ireland, Rumman Raees, Sohaib Maq (both Emerging). England’s Moeen Ali and Mubasir Khan (Supplementary)
Haider Ali, Imran Tahir (South Africa), Matthew Wade (Australia), Imad Wasim, James Fuller (New Zealand), James Vince (both England), Mohammad Amir, Shoaib Malik (all Gold), Aamer Yamin, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Akhlaq, Sharjeel Khan, Tayyab Tahir (all Silver), Irfan Khan Niazi, and Qasim Akram are all members of the Karachi Kings (both Emerging). South Africans Mohammad Umar and Tabraiz Shamsi (Supplementary)
The following players represent the 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 (both Emerging). Jordan Cox and Jalat Khan (both of England) (both Supplementary)
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, and Ihsanullah are the members of the Multan Sultans (both Emerging). Englishmen Adil Rashid and Arafat Minhas (Supplementary).
Babar Azam, Rovman Powell from the West Indies, Bhanuka Rajapaksa from Sri Lanka, Mujeeb Ur Rehman from Afghanistan, Sherfane Rutherford from the West Indies, Wahab Riaz from Pakistan, Danish Aziz from Pakistan, Mohammad Haris from Pakistan, Arshad Iqbal from Pakistan, Aamer Jamal from England, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Saim Ayub from Pakistan, Salman I (both Emerging). New Zealander Jimmy Neesham (Supplementary). At the Replacement Draft, Peshawar Zalmi will select its second Supplementary.
Mohammad Zahid, Naveen-ul-Haq (Afghanistan), Umar Akmal, Umaid Asif, Will Smeed (England) (all Silver), Aimal Khan, and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai are the members of the Quetta Gladiators. They are Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka) (all Platinum), Iftikhar Ahmed, Jason Roy (England) (both Emerging). New Zealanders Martin Guptill and Omair Bin Yousuf (Supplementary).
