PSL: Babar, Shaheen retained in Platinum category; Sultans release Rizwan

Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Lahore Qalandars), Shadab Khan (Islamabad United), Abrar Ahmed (Quetta Gladiators) and Hasan Ali (Karachi Kings) have been retained in the Platinum category by their respective PSL teams. Multan Sultans were the only team not to retain any player, releasing even their captain Mohammad Rizwan.

Zalmi, Qalandars, Gladiators and Kings have retained four players each, while United have retained three. The two new teams, Sialkot Stallionz and Hyderabad, will make their retentions by February 7. The auction, the first ever in PSL history, will take place on February 11.

Apart from Afridi, Qalandars have retained Abdullah Shafique (Diamond), Sikandar Raza (Gold), and Mohammad Naeem (Silver).

Gladiators' first two choices were spinners: Abrar and Usman Tariq (Diamond). They have also got Hasan Nawaz (Gold) and left-hand batter Shamyl Hussain (Emerging).

Accompanying Babar at the Zalmi will be Sufiyan Muqeem (Diamond), Abdul Samad (Gold) and Ali Raza in (Emerging), while at United, Shadab will have the company of Salman Irshad (Gold) and USA wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous (Silver). United did not retain anyone in the Platinum or Emerging category.

At Kings, Abbas Afridi (Diamond), Khushdil Shah (Gold) and Saad Baig (Emerging) have been retained alongside Hasan.

All the players - retained or picked at the auction - will have a two-year contract with their franchise. The teams can sign 16 to 20 players, with five to seven overseas players and at least one local player under the age of 23 who is yet to play the PSL.

Each franchise has an auction purse of PKR 450 million (USD 1.6 million), which can be extended to PKR 505 million (USD 1.8 million) to accommodate the direct signing. The teams can sign one player outside the auction. On Tuesday, Stallionz became the first to do so after they signed Steven Smith directly.

Lahore Qalandars: Shaheen Shah Afridi (Platinum), Abdullah Shafique (Diamond), Sikandar Raza (Gold), Mohammad Naeem (Silver)

Quetta Gladiators: Abrar Ahmed (Platinum), Usman Tariq (Diamond), Hasan Nawaz (Gold), Shamyl Hussain (Emerging)

Islamabad United: Shadab Khan (Platinum), Salman Irshad (Gold), Andries Gous (Silver)

Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (platinum), Sufyan Moqim (Diamond), Abdul Samad (Gold), Ali Raza (Emerging)

Karachi Kings: Hasan Ali (platinum), Mohammad Abbas Afridi (Diamond), Khushdil Shah (Gold), Saad Baig (Emerging)

Multan Sultans: No retention