KARACHI: In an exciting contest of HBL PSL 11, Peshawar Zalmi defeated Hyderabad Kingsmen by 4 wickets at the National Bank Stadium.
After winning the toss, Peshawar Zalmi opted to field first. Hyderabad Kingsmen posted 145 runs, with Kusal Perera scoring 58 and Marnus Labuschagne contributing 27. Peshawar’s Sufiyan Muqeem and Fakhar Ahmed picked up four wickets each.
Chasing 146, Peshawar Zalmi reached the target on the last ball, losing six wickets. Babar Azam top-scored with 46 runs, while Kusal Mendis and Michael Bracewell added 27 and 25 runs respectively. Hyderabad’s Saim Ayub took two wickets for 19 runs.
Before the toss, PSL CEO Salman Naseer released a symbolic peace dove, with Babar Azam, Marnus Labuschagne, and match referee Roshan Mahnama present, recognizing Pakistan’s role in the recent US-Iran ceasefire efforts.
KARACHI: In the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Peshawar Zalmi has decided to retain captain Babar Azam for the upcoming season, sources confirmed.
According to insiders, the franchise has chosen to release Saim Ayub, who, along with Babar Azam, was listed in Peshawar Zalmi’s Platinum category. PSL rules allow franchises to retain only one player per category, making this a strategic decision.
Sources added that Saim Ayub will now be available for selection by other franchises in the PSL players’ draft.
Franchises are expected to finalize their retention decisions today, determining which players will remain with their teams for PSL 11.
Ahead of the 11th season of the PSL 11, franchises have announced their player retentions as the league introduces a major change in the player selection process.
For the first time in PSL history, the traditional draft system has been replaced with an auction-based model. Under this system, franchises can now retain only one player per category instead of eight, while remaining players will be added to their squads through the auction.
Retentions by Franchises:
Lahore Qalandars – The defending champions have retained captain Shaheen Afridi in the Platinum category. They released Haris Rauf and Fakhar Zaman from Platinum. In other categories, Abdullah Shafiq (Diamond), Sikandar Raza (Gold), and Mohammad Naeem (Silver) were retained, while several players including Salman Mirza, Zaman Khan, Jahandad Khan, Asif Afridi, Asif Ali, Mohammad Ikhlaq, and Mohammad Azab were released.
Karachi Kings – The franchise retained fast bowler Hasan Ali in Platinum, Abbas Afridi (Diamond), Khushdil Shah (Gold), and Saad Baig (Emerging).
Islamabad United – Shadab Khan remains in Platinum, Salman Irshad in Gold, and Andres Goos in Silver. The team released players including Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Imad Wasim, Azam Khan, Haider Ali, Roman Rais, Mohammad Faiq, and Haneen Shah across various categories.
Quetta Gladiators – The franchise retained Abrar Ahmed (Platinum), Usman Tariq (Diamond), Hassan Nawaz (Gold), and Hussain (Emerging). Players released include Mohammad Amir, Faheem Ashraf, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Khurram Shehzad, Hasibullah Khan, Khawaja Nafees, Danish Aziz, and Mohammad Zeeshan.
The retentions mark the first step in the PSL 11 preparations, with the new auction-based player draft set to determine final team squads for the season.
LAHORE: Quetta Gladiators have become the third franchise—after Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi—to renew their partnership with the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for an additional 10 years.
The PSL officially confirmed the extension, stating that the new agreement with Quetta Gladiators has been finalized under an updated valuation conducted by international firm EY MENA.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi expressed his satisfaction over the renewed partnership, praising franchise owner Nadeem Omar for his longstanding contributions to the league. He highlighted that Omar’s continued trust reflects the PSL’s growing credibility.
PSL CEO Salman Naseer also welcomed the extension, noting that the partnership with Quetta Gladiators will become even stronger. He commended the franchise’s passion and commitment, adding that Nadeem Omar’s support goes “beyond expectations,” and that Quetta Gladiators remain one of the PSL’s most solid franchises due to their popularity and performance.
