Despite not being the national sport, cricket is undoubtedly the most followed sport in Pakistan. It is extremely popular, in terms of both viewership and participation. To promote young cricketers, the Pakistan Cricket Board introduced PSL (Pakistan Super League) in 2015. It has gained a large following and is now the second most-viewed Twenty20 league in the world, after the Indian Premier League. This year, the opening ceremony of PSL 8 will be held in Multan.
Graana.com has compiled all the details on the HBL PSL 8 draft below, including a list of the foreign and local players.
PSL is a professional Twenty20 cricket league in Pakistan. It was founded in 2015 and is composed of six teams representing different cities in Pakistan.
Each team plays a total of 14 matches in the league stage, with the top four teams qualifying for the playoffs. The winner of the playoffs is crowned the champion of the PSL.
The PSL Draft is an annual event in which the six teams select players to join their squads. Players can be domestic or international and can be selected through a variety of methods, including open bids, direct picks, and right-to-match cards.
The draft is an exciting time for fans, as it allows them to see which players their favourite teams will be acquiring for the upcoming season.
The right-to-match card (RTM) is a tool that teams can use to retain a player from their previous season’s squad. During the draft, if another team makes a bid for a player that a team holds the RTM for, it can use the RTM to match the bid and retain the player.
Teams are only allowed to use a certain number of RTMs per draft, so they must choose wisely.
The six teams of the PSL are:
Karachi Kings was founded in 2015, having played in every edition of the PSL since its inception. The team is owned by Salman Iqbal, the CEO of ARY Digital Network, and is captained by former Pakistan national cricket team captain Babar Azam. Karachi Kings has made it to the playoffs in every season of the PSL but has yet to win the tournament.
The following is the list of retained players for the Karachi Kings.
| Sr. # | Name | Category | Nationality |
| 1 | Haider Ali | Platinum | Pakistan |
| 2 | Imad Wasim | Diamond | Pakistan |
| 3 | Mohammad Amir | Diamond | Pakistan |
| 4 | Shoaib Malik | Diamond | Pakistan |
| 5 | Aamer Yamin | Silver | Pakistan |
| 6 | Mir Hamza | Silver | Pakistan |
| 7 | Sharjeel Khan | Silver | Pakistan |
| 8 | Qasim Akram | Emerging | Pakistan |
The team of Lahore Qalandars was founded in 2015. It is owned by Qatar Lubricants Company and is captained by former Pakistan national cricket team player Sohail Akhtar. Lahore Qalandars has not had much success in the PSL, as it has never made it to the playoffs.
The following is the list of retained players for the Lahore Qalandars.
| Sr. # | Name | Category | Nationality |
| 1 | Rashid Khan | Platinum | Afghanistan |
| 2 | Shaheen Shah Afridi | Platinum | Pakistan |
| 3 | David Wiese | Diamond | Namibia |
| 4 | Abdullah Shafique | Gold | Pakistan |
| 5 | Harry Brook | Silver | English |
| 6 | Kamran Ghulam | Silver | Pakistan |
| 7 | Zaman Khan | Emerging | Pakistan |
The team Multan Sultans was formed much later than the other teams, in 2018. It is owned by Schön Properties and is captained by former Pakistan national cricket team player Shan Masood. Multan Sultans made it to the playoffs in its first season but has not had much success in the subsequent seasons.
The following is the list of retained players for Multan Sultans.
| Sr. # | Name | Category | Nationality |
| 1 | Mohammad Rizwan | Platinum | Pakistan |
| 2 | Khushdil Shah | Diamond | Pakistan |
| 3 | Rilee Rossouw | Diamond | South Africa |
| 4 | Shan Masood | Diamond | Pakistan |
| 5 | Shahnawaz Dahani | Brand Ambassador | Pakistan |
| 6 | Tim David | Gold | Australia |
| 7 | Abbas Afridi | Emerging | Pakistan |
| 8 | Ihsanullah | Emerging | Pakistan |
Founded in 2015, the team of Peshawar Zalmi is owned by Javed Afridi, the CEO of Haier Pakistan, and is captained by former Pakistan national cricket team player Darren Sammy. Peshawar Zalmi has made it to the playoffs in every season of the PSL and has won the tournament once, in 2017.
The following is the list of retained players for Peshawar Zalmi.
| Sr. # | Name | Category | Nationality |
| 1 | Babar Azam | Platinum | Pakistan |
| 2 | Sherfane Rutherford | Diamond | West Indies |
| 3 | Wahab Riaz | Diamond | Pakistan |
| 4 | Mohammad Haris | Gold | Pakistan |
| 5 | Aamir Jamal | Brand Ambassador | Pakistan |
| 6 | Salman Irshad | Silver | Pakistan |
| 7 | Tom-Kohler Cadmore | Silver | England |
One of the most popular teams of PSL, Quetta Gladiators was founded in 2015 and has played in every edition so far. The team is owned by Omar Associates and is captained by former Pakistan national cricket team player Sarfaraz Ahmed. Quetta Gladiators have made it to the playoffs in every season of the PSL, and have reached the final three times, but have yet to win the tournament.
The following is the list of retained players for Quetta Gladiators.
| Sr. # | Name | Category | Nationality |
| 1 | Mohammad Nawaz | Platinum | Pakistan |
| 2 | Iftikhar Ahmed | Diamond | Pakistan |
| 3 | Jason Roy | Diamond | England |
| 4 | Mohammad Hasnain | Gold | Pakistan |
| 5 | Sarfaraz Ahmed | Gold | Pakistan |
| 6 | Naveen ul Haq | Silver | Pakistan |
| 7 | Umar Akmal | Silver | Pakistan |
| 8 | Will Smeed | Silver | England |
Based in the capital city, Islamabad United was also founded in 2015 like most of the other teams. It is owned by Leonine Global Sports and is captained by former Pakistan national cricket team player Shadab Khan. Islamabad United has had a lot of success in the PSL, having won the tournament twice, in 2016 and 2018.
The following is the list of retained players for Islamabad United.
| Sr. # | Name | Category | Nationality |
| 1 | Shadab Khan | Platinum | Pakistan |
| 2 | Asif Ali | (Brand Ambassador) | Pakistan |
| 3 | Mohammad Wasim Jnr | Diamond | Pakistan |
| 4 | Azam Khan | Gold | Pakistan |
| 5 | Faheem Ashraf | Gold | Pakistan |
| 6 | Hasan Ali | Gold | Pakistan |
| 7 | Colin Munro | Silver | New Zealand |
| 8 | Paul Stirling | Silver | Ireland |
The PSL Draft also includes a category for international players, who are eligible to be drafted by the teams. They bring a wealth of experience and talent to the league and help elevate the competition level.
| Country | Total No. of Players Registered |
| England | 140 |
| Sri Lanka | 60 |
| Afghanistan | 43 |
| West Indies | 38 |
| Bangladesh | 28 |
| South Africa | 25 |
| Australia | 14 |
| Zimbabwe | 11 |
| Ireland | 9 |
The venues for the PSL 8 season have not yet been announced. In the past, matches have been held at various stadiums in Pakistan, including the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and the National Stadium in Karachi.
The National Stadium in Karachi is the home ground of the Pakistan national cricket team and has a seating capacity of 34,228. It is among the popular stadiums in Pakistan.
It was built in 1955 and has undergone several renovations since then. The stadium has hosted many international cricket matches, as well as other sporting events and concerts.
On the other hand, Gaddafi Stadium has a seating capacity of 60,000. Built in 1959, it is named after former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who funded its renovation in the 1970s. The stadium has hosted numerous international cricket matches.
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium has a seating capacity of 20,000 and is the home ground of the cricket team Rawalpindi Rams.
It was built in 1992 and has hosted many notable international cricket matches, including several matches during the 1996 Cricket World Cup.
The PSL 8 Draft will be available to watch online on various streaming platforms. Fans can tune in to the official PSL website or its social media pages to catch all the action live.
You also have the option to watch the draft on television through sports channels that cover the event.
Following are the online streaming website links on which you can watch PSL 8 online.
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