Karachi Kings sign Moeen Ali ahead of PSL 11 auction

KARACHI: Former champions Karachi Kings on Wednesday announced former England all-rounder Moeen Ali as their direct signing ahead of the historic players auction for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11, scheduled to be held on February 11.

Moeen, who represented England in 68 Tests, 138 ODIs and 92 T20Is, was roped in by the 2020 champions for a mammoth Rs64.4 million.

"We're excited to announce England's explosive force, Moeen Ali, joining the [Kings Squad] for PKR 6.44 Crore in the HBL PSL 11! Let's create magic together," the franchise announced through a social media post.

Notably, Moeen was among high-profile foreign cricketers to confirm their availability for the highly anticipated PSL 11, which will mark the expansion of the marquee league with the addition of two new teams, and expressed his anticipation to make his return in the tournament's "new era".

"I'm really excited to be joining HBL PSL in its New Era. The league has earned a reputation for top-level T20 cricket, with high-quality competition and world-class talent across every team," Moeen wrote on Instagram last year.

The 38-year-old has also won a PSL title in 2021 during his two-year stint with Multan Sultans.

Overall, Moeen has played nine PSL matches and accumulated 138 runs at a dismal average of 17.25 with the help of one half-century. He also has five wickets to his name.

The World Cup-winning player will join Hasan Ali, Abbas Afridi, Khushdil Shah and Saad Baig, who were retained by the Kings in Platinum, Diamond, Gold and Emerging categories, respectively.

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

However, as per the revised regulations for PSL 11, the teams were only allowed to retain a total of four players from as many categories, presenting franchises with a challenging decision-making ahead of the auction.

For the unversed, the 11th edition of the tournament will kick off on March 26 and will run until May 3.