Peshawar Zalmi reveal huge retention amounts ahead of PSL 11

KARACHI: Second-edition champions Peshawar Zalmi on Wednesday revealed the retention fees for their three retained players ahead of the historic 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), scheduled from March 26 to May 3.

The franchise shared the details via their official Instagram handle, confirming the fees for skipper Babar Azam, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abdul Samad, and young pacer Ali Raza.

Babar Azam has been retained in the Platinum category for PKR 70 million, while Sufiyan Muqeem, in the Diamond category, will earn PKR 44.8 million. 

Abdul Samad, selected in the Gold category, secured PKR 28 million, and Ali Raza, from the Emerging category, will receive PKR 19.6 million.

For the upcoming auction, franchises have been allotted a total budget of PKR 450 million. Zalmi have so far spent PKR 162.4 million on their retained players.

On Tuesday, Zalmi confirmed the list of their retained players ahead of the PSL 11 players’ auction, which is set to take place on February 11.

The 11th edition of the PSL will mark a significant shift in the league’s player selection process, as the traditional draft system has been replaced by an auction-based model for the first time in the tournament’s history. 

Previously, franchises were allowed to retain up to eight players — a rule that remained in place for the first 10 seasons. 

Under the revised regulations for PSL 11, teams are permitted to retain only four players across different categories, posing a fresh challenge ahead of the auction.

A total of 14 players were placed across various categories. The Platinum category included skipper Babar Azam and Saim Ayub, while Sufiyan Muqeem was the sole player listed in the Diamond category. 

The Gold category featured Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Ali, Abdul Samad, Hussain Talat, Ahmed Daniyal, and Ihsanullah. Arif Yaqoob and Mehran Mumtaz were named in the Silver category, while Maaz Sadaqat, Ali Raza, and Abdullah Fazal were placed in the Emerging category.

The upcoming season will also witness a major expansion of the league, with the PSL growing from six to eight teams. Hyderabad and Sialkot Stallionz are the newest additions and will make their debut in the forthcoming edition.

The Hyderabad franchise was acquired by Fawad Sarwar after he won the bidding process with an offer of PKR 1.75 billion (approximately USD 6.25 million), while the Sialkot Stallionz franchise was secured by Hamza Majeed, who placed the highest bid of PKR 1.85 billion.

The 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League is set to begin on March 26 and will conclude on May 3.