Tentative schedule of PSL 9 revealed
The teams will start gathering on February 12
LAHORE: The tentative schedule of Pakistan Super League (PSL) season nine has been revealed, Geo News reported on Monday.
The complete schedule is expected to be announced on December 13 during the draft at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore.
As per sources, PCB is in favour of hosting these matches across four venues - Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi.
The teams will start gathering on February 12 where they take part in practice sessions and matches across four days.
The event will start from February 17 in Lahore with defending champions Lahore Qalandars facing Islamabad United in the opening match. Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings will play in Multan on February 18.
Meanwhile, the first game in Karachi is recommended between Karachi Kings and Islamabad United on February 28. Matches in Rawalpindi will start on March 1 with United playing Quetta Gladiators. Six double-headers will also be played during the event.
11 matches will take place in Karachi, nine each in Lahore and Rawalpindi and five in Multan.
Three playoff matches and the final will take place in Karachi, with the final scheduled on March 17.
Last week, The cricket body released the list of all the retained players by all six franchises on Thursday where many big and important names were not kept by their franchises.
Defending champions Lahore Qalandards retained their skipper Shaheen Afridi in the Platinum category. Islamabad United successfully retained their captain Shadab Khan alongside their top-trade Naseem Shah.
"Following the finalisation of all trades and retentions, Multan Sultans will now have the first pick in the first round of the Platinum category, after Multan and Quetta traded Iftikhar Ahmed and Rilee Rossouw between them," the PCB said in a press release.
"Naseem Shah’s move to Islamabad United also saw their first round Platinum pick exchanged with Quetta Gladiator’s third-round Platinum pick.
"Following Shan Masood’s move to Karachi Kings, their first-round Silver pick was exchanged for Multan Sultan’s fourth-round Silver pick. Owing to Imad Wasim’s move to Islamabad United, Islamabad’s first-round Silver pick has been exchanged with Karachi’s second-round Silver pick.
"Furthermore, Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators will be required to pick a local player in the Platinum category."
"As per the precedent, each of the six sides will have the Right to Match Card that will allow them to pick any player released from their roster during the draft."
Full retentions:
Lahore Qalandars (8): Shaheen Shah Afridi (Platinum), Haris Rauf (Brand Ambassador) and David Wiese (both Diamond), Sikandar Raza, Abdullah Shafique and Zaman Khan (all Gold), Mirza Tahir Baig (Successful relegation request) and Rashid Khan (both Silver).
Islamabad United (8): Shadab Khan and Naseem Shah (both Platinum), Imad Wasim (Mentor) and Azam Khan (both Diamond), Faheem Ashraf (Brand Ambassador), Alex Hales and Colin Munro (all Gold), Rumman Raees (Successful relegation request in Silver).
Multan Sultans (7): Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed (both Platinum), Khushdil Shah and Usama Mir (both Diamond), Abbas Afridi (Gold), Ihsanullah (Brand Ambassador, Silver), Faisal Akram (Emerging).
Karachi Kings (8): James Vince and Hasan Ali (Diamond), Shan Masood (Brand Ambassador), Shoaib Malik (Mentor) and Tabraiz Shamsi (all Gold), Mir Hamza (Successful relegation request) and Muhammad Akhlaq (both Silver), Muhammad Irfan Khan (Emerging).
Quetta Gladiators (8): Rilee Rossouw (Platinum), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Jason Roy and Wanindu Hasaranga (all Diamond), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Brand Ambassador) Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Hasnain (all Gold), Will Smeed (Silver).
Some of the star foreign players registered in the top two categories:
Platinum: Daniel Sams, Ashton Agar (both Australia), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (all Afghanistan), Ben Duckett, Chris Jordan, David Willey, Dawid Malan, Luke Wood, Reece Topley, Tom Curran, Tymal Mills (all England), Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal), James Neesham (New Zealand), Rassie van der Dussen, Imran Tahir (both South Africa), Maheesh Theekshana, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (all Sri Lanka), Kieron Pollard, Romario Shepherd, Brandon King Sherfane Rutherford and Kyle Mayers (all West Indies)
Diamond: Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi (both Afghanistan), Ben McDermott (Australia), Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mahmudullah (all Bangladesh), Dan Lawrence, Gus Atkinson, Jordan Cox, Liam Dawson, Matthew Potts, Ollie Pope, Richard Gleeson, Sam Hain (all England), Tim Seifert, Martin Guptill, Chad Bowes (all New Zealand), George Linde, Lungi Ngidi, Reeza Hendricks, Wayne Parnell, Sisanda Magala (all South Africa), Dilshan Madushanka, Charith Asalanka, Dushmantha Chameera, Sadeera Samarawickrama (all Sri Lanka), Fabian Allen, Johnson Charles, Rahkeem Cornwall, Roston Chase, Shai Hope, Hayden Walsh (all West Indies).
