Sri Lanka’s 2022 Asia Cup winners Wanindu Hasaranga and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, England and Australia’s ICC T20 Men’s World Cup winners Adil Rashid and Matthew Wade, respectively, New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham, and South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi will all make their HBL Pakistan Super League debuts in the tournament’s eighth edition, which will be held across four cities from 13 February to 19 March 2023.
PSL 8 Drafts
Hasaranga was picked up by 2019 champions Quetta Gladiators, 2017 winners Peshawar Zalmi scooped Rajapaksa, while Wade was chosen by 2020 champions Karachi Kings in the HBL PSL Player Draft 2023, which was held here on Thursday. The group was chosen in the Platinum Category. Hasaranga has 182 wickets at an economy rate of 6.71 in 129 T20 matches, while the spinner has 86 wickets in 52 T20Is. Rajapaksa has a strike rate of 135 in 35 T20Is and 143 T20s, whereas Wade has a strike rate of 132 and 136 in T20I and T20 cricket, respectively.
Also Read: Babar Azam becomes the captain of Peshawar Zalmi
Neesham, who was a member of New Zealand’s squad for the T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022, joined the Zalmi after impressing the franchise with 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. Multan Sultans lost Imran Tahir to Karachi Kings, but they brought in Adil Rashid, who has 93 wickets in 92 T20Is with an average of 22. Karachi Kings selected Shamsi. The left-arm wrist-spinner has played 59 T20Is, taking 73 wickets, and has 225 wickets in 192 T20s. The three players were chosen during the Supplementary round.
Three teenagers who excelled in the Pakistan Junior League were also selected by three different franchises in the draught. 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 (10), Ireland (two), Namibia (one), New Zealand (four), South Africa (four), Sri Lanka (two), West Indies (four), and Zimbabwe were among the 36 foreign players selected in the draught.
Also Read: Looking forward to seeing you in Pakistan,’ David Miller enthuses for PSL