KARACHI: England’s T20 World Cup-winning leg-spinner Adil Rashid and Australian wicket-keeper Matthew Wade will be seen in action during the eighth edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League, when it starts in February next year.

Rashid, who played a key role in England’s win in the T20 World Cup final against Pakistan in Melbourne last month, was picked in the supplementary category by Multan Sultans.

Wade — an explosive left-handed batter and Australia’s first-choice wicket-keeper in white-ball cricket — on the other hand, was Karachi Kings’ first pick in the platinum category.

Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup-winning duo of leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga and hard-hitting batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa will also make their PSL debuts in the next edition, when they feature for Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi, respectively.

While Hasaranga was Quetta’s second platinum pick, Rajapaksa was Zalmi’s first. New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham — Zalmi’s supplementary pick — and South African chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi — Karachi’s supplementary pick — will also make their maiden appearances in the PSL.

Multan’s success in acquiring Rashid came at the expense of their South African spin-bowling mainstay Imran Tahir, who was picked by Karachi. The 2020 champions also bolstered their batting resources by picking Imran’s compatriot, flamboyant left-hander David Miller.

Multan also made an attempt to steal Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah when they used their wildcard to pick him in platinum category before Quetta Gladiators, who had released the right-armer used their right to match to claim his services, also losing one of their platinum picks in process.

Defending champions Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United ensured they held out on their respective, prized openers Fakhar Zaman and Alex Hales when they chose them as their first platinum picks.

Islamabad also upgraded their spin attack — led by captain Shadab Khan — by roping in mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed, who took 11 wickets in his debut Test against England recently. Abrar is also a National T20 Cup winner for Sindh, who clinched the title earlier this year.

Two-time champions Islamabad also picked England all-rounder Moeen Ali in the supplementary category.

Meanwhile, Qalandars managed to get their hands on Zimbabwe’s star all-rounder Sikandar Raza. Zalmi — who had traded in Pakistan skipper Babar Azam for Haider Ali with Karachi Kings — picked Went Indies batter Rovman Powell in the platinum category.

The draft also saw four teenagers, who excelled in the inaugural Pakistan Junior League, picked by four different franchises.

Squads:

Islamabad United: Alex Hales (England), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan), Shadab Khan (all Platinum), Asif Ali, Fazal Haq Farooqi (Afghanistan), Wasim Jr (all Diamond), Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali (all Gold), Abrar Ahmed, Colin Munro (New Zealand), Paul Stirling (Ireland), Rumman Raees, Sohaib Maqsood (all Silver), Hassan Nawaz, Zeeshan Zamir (both Emerging). Moeen Ali (England) and Mubasir Khan (Supplementary)

Karachi Kings: Haider Ali, Imran Tahir (South Africa), Matthew Wade (Australia) (all Platinum), Imad Wasim, James Fuller (New Zealand), James Vince (both England) (all Diamond), Andrew Tye (Australia), Mohammad Amir, Shoaib Malik (all Gold), Aamer Yamin, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Akhlaq, Sharjeel Khan, Tayyab Tahir (all Silver), Irfan Khan Niazi, Qasim Akram (both Emerging). Mohammad Umar and Tabraiz Shamsi (South Africa) (Supplementary)

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 Brook (England), Kamran Ghulam, Mirza Tahir Baig (all Silver), Shawaiz Irfan, Zaman Khan (both Emerging). Jalat Khan and Jordan Cox (England) (both Supplementary)

Multan Sultans: David Miller (South Africa), Josh Little (Ireland), Mohammad Rizwan (all Platinum), 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, Ihsanullah (both Emerging). Adil Rashid (England) and Arafat Minhas (Supplementary).

Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam, Rovman Powell (West Indies), Bhanuka Rajapaksa (Sri Lanka), (all Platinum), Mujeeb Ur Rehman (Afghanistan), Sherfane Rutherford (West Indies), Wahab Riaz (all Diamond), Arshad Iqbal, Danish Aziz, Mohammad Haris (all Gold), Aamer Jamal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (England), Saim Ayub, Salman Irshad, Usman Qadir (all Silver), Haseebullah Khan, Sufyan Muqeem (both Emerging). Jimmy Neesham (New Zealand) (Supplementary). Peshawar Zalmi will pick their second Supplementary at the Replacement Draft.

Quetta Gladiators: Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka) (all Platinum), Iftikhar Ahmed, Jason Roy (England), Odean Smith (West Indies) (all Diamond), Ahsan Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Sarfaraz Ahmed (all Gold), Mohammad Zahid, Naveen-ul-Haq (Afghanistan), Umar Akmal, Umaid Asif, Will Smeed (England) (all Silver), Aimal Khan, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (both Emerging). Martin Guptill (New Zealand) and Omair Bin Yousuf (Supplementary).

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2022