Mickey Arthur named coach for PSL Karachi franchise

Former South Africa and Australia coach, Mickey Arthur, has been named the head coach of the Karachi side for the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL), team owner Salman Iqbal announced on Friday.

Iqbal, the CEO of the ARY Group, who purchased the Karachi franchise for a reported amount of $26 million, picked former leg-spin great Mushtaq Ahmed as Arthur's deputy.

Following a successful tenure as South Africa's coach from 2005, Arthur was appointed to the Australia role after their home Ashes defeat in 2010-11.

Despite winning 10 of his 19 Tests in charge, he had rifts with many of his senior players, mainly during the infamous homework saga in India in 2012-13, and was replaced by Darren Lehmann.

Since then, the South African has worked in both the Caribbean Premier League, where he coached Jamaica Tallawahs, and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), where he is now in charge of the Dhaka side.

Arthur also coached domestic sides in South Africa, with Eastern Cape, and Australia, where he coached Western Australia.

Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sold five franchise rights for the inaugural PSL for $93 million for a period of 10 years.

Five companies bought the Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Islamabad, and Quetta teams.

Salman Iqbal successfully bought the Karachi franchise, while Quetta’s rights were sold to Omar Associates.

Qatar Oil snapped up the Lahore franchise, Leonine Global Sports bought the Islamabad team while Javed Afridi, CEO of Haier Group and a long-timer partner of Pakistan cricket, won rights for the Peshawar franchise.

308 top foreign and local players set for draft process

On Thursday, the PCB announced a total of 308 top foreign and local players for drafting in the PSL, with Mohammad Amir and exiled former England batsman Kevin Pietersen among them.

PCB will stage the first edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) between February 4-23 after the sale of five teams for 93 million dollars (9.3 billion rupees) last week.

PCB said 171 foreign and 137 domestic players will be available for drafting by teams.

“Having successfully finalised the sale of commercial rights for franchises, broadcast, and title sponsorship, PSL is now entering the phase that many fans have long been waiting for,” said a PCB release.

“At the player draft event, the five franchise owners will gather to select their playing squads. By opting for a draft system in place of a player auction, PSL will ensure a level-playing field as each team will have to choose a certain number of players from each category,” said the PCB.

These players have been divided into five different categories - Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Emerging, the PCB added.

Amir, whose five-year ban following a spot-fixing scandal tied to Pakistan's tour of England in 2010 was lifted in September this year, is in the Gold category after showing good form in Pakistan's domestic season and in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League.

The list also includes former England batsman Pietersen, Australian Shane Watson, big hitting West Indian Chris Gayle and Pakistan's own Shahid Afridi.

The list also includes the name of express Australian paceman Brett Lee who retired in 2012 in the Platinum class.

“Each team will be required to pick three players per category from each of the top three categories (Platinum, Diamond, Gold),” said the PCB.

Teams are required to draft two emerging players as part of PCB's plans to groom their players. PCB said all five teams will be finalising their coaching panels next week.

Sharjah and Dubai will host PSL matches, designed along the lines of lucrative leagues in India and Australia. Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja said PSL will change the fortunes of country's cricket.

“We want to make this league as one of the best in Asia and it will help players financially,” Raja, also an ambassador for the PSL,” told media in Lahore.