As PSL is coming closer we are getting to hear about more developments. Finally, the list of the players for each franchise has arrived. The PSL franchises have certainly shuffled up a little with retaining and releasing some players in a bid to strengthen their teams more to compete against the other teams.
The franchises that underwent big changes were Multan Sultan and Islamabad United. Both the teams decided to release their former captains from last season, Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Sami respectively.
Pakistanis are as excited for the PSL this time as they were the first time. Or maybe even a bit more. Because finally the whole tournament is set to be held on the homeland of the tournament. Previously most parts of the tournament used to be held in Dubai.
The PSL 2020 Franchises Retained Some Key Players
All the PSL 2020 franchises have retained their key players of the T20I team. One of which is the number one ranked player and has also been the captain of the T20I team, Babar Azam. He has retained his position in Karachi Kings where he will also have the company of the fast bowler, Mohammad Amir, Iftekhar Ahmed the top-order batsman and Imad Wasim the Pakistani
Source: PCB
Sarfaraz Ahmed, the former captain of Team Pakistan in all forms, has retained his position in the team of the champions of the last tournament, Quetta Gladiators. The 19-year-old fast bowler has also made a spot among the retainers. Alongside him, Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Nawaz, and Naseem Shah are also going to be playing from Quetta’s side like last season, including the international player Shane Watson.
Source: PCB
On the other hand, the second and fourth season champion Islamabad United, the 21-year-old leg-spinner Shadab Khan along with Asif Ali and Musa Khan. The international player Luke Ronchi from New Zealand will also be playing for Islamabad United like the last season.
Source: PCB
Lahore Qalandars’ opted South Africa’s David Wiese for the team again. Besides him, the Pakistani players that you will get to see in this season again are Mohammad Hafeez, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Salman Butt, Sohail Akhtar, and everyone’s favorite Shaheen Afridi.
Source: PCB
Pakistanis will once again get to see Boom Boom Afridi, Mohammad Irfan, Shan Masood and Junaid Khan playing for Multan Sultan. Moreover, James Vince, the British player, has also been retained in the team for the season.
Source: PCB
Third seasons’ champion, Peshawar Zalmi has retained some big names too. These include Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Wahab Riaz, Umar Amin, and Kamran Akmal. Among the international players, this team has retained the star player Daren Sammy and Kieron Pollard.
Source: PCB
PSL 2020 List Of Released And Retained Players
There are some prominent names that the franchises have decided to release. This list names Alex Hales, Ravi Bopara, Ian Bell, Brendan Taylor, Haris Sohail, Sandeep Lamichhane and Carlos Brathwaite. However, new players like Dale Steyn were also announced to be included in the platinum pool of PSL 2020 this time.
Here is the complete list of players who have been retained and released by the franchises.
Karachi Kings
Players retained: Babar Azam, Mohammad Amir (both Platinum), Imad Wasim (Diamond as Brand Ambassador), Iftikhar Ahmed (Diamond), Aamir Yamin (Gold), Usama Mir (Silver) and Umer Khan (Emerging)
Players released: Abrar Ahmed, Aaron Summers, Ali Imran, Ben Dunk, Awais Zia, Colin Ingram, Jaahid Ali, Colin Munro, Liam Livingstone, Ravi Bopara, Mohammad Rizwan, Sohail Khan, Sikandar Raza, and Usman Shinwari (transferred to Lahore Qalandars)
Islamabad United
Players retained: Shadab Khan (Platinum), Faheem Ashraf (Diamond as Brand Ambassador), Asif Ali (Diamond), Luke Ronchi (Gold as Player Mentor), Hussain Talat (Gold), Amad Butt, Musa Khan and Rizwan Hussain (Silver)
Players released: Cameron Delport, Alex Hales, Chadwick Walton, Mohammad Sami, Ian Bell, Nasir Nawaz, Rumman Raees, Philip Salt, Sahibzada Farhan, Waqas Maqsood, Samit Patel, Wayne Parnell, Zahir Khan, and Zafar Gohar
Lahore Qalandars
Players retained: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez (both Platinum), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Diamond as Brand Ambassador), David Wiese, Usman Shinwari (Diamond, Usman transferred from Karachi Kings), Haris Rauf, Sohail Akhtar (both Gold), Salman Butt (Silver).
Players released: AB de Villiers (not available in 2020), Agha Salman, Umair Masood, Aizaz Cheema, Anton Devcich, Asela Gunaratne, Brendan Taylor, Carlos Brathwaite, Rahat Ali, Corey Anderson (not available in 2020), Gohar Ali, Hardus Viljoen, Haris Sohail, Sandeep Lamichhane, Hassan Khan, Mohammad Imran, Riki Wessels, Ryan ten Doeschate (not available in 2020), Saad Ali, Yasir Shah
Peshawar Zalmi
Players retained: Hasan Ali, Kieron Pollard, Wahab Riaz (all Platinum), Kamran Akmal (Diamond as Brand Ambassador), Daren Sammy (Gold as Player Mentor), Imam-ul-Haq (Gold) and Umar Amin (Silver)
Players released: Misbah-ul-Haq (not available in 2020), Andre Fletcher, Dawid Malan, Ibtesam Sheikh, Chris Jordan, Jamal Anwar, Khalid Usman, Lendl Simmons, Nabi Gul, Liam Dawson, Sameen Gul, Samiullah, Umaid Asif, Sohaib Maqsood, Tymal Mills, Waqar Salamkheil and Wayne Madsen
Quetta Gladiators
Players retained: Mohammad Nawaz, Sarfaraz Ahmed (both Platinum), Shane Watson (Diamond as Player Mentor), Ahmed Shehzad (Diamond), Umar Akmal (Gold as Brand Ambassador), Mohammad Hasnain (Gold), Ahsan Ali and Naseem Shah (Silver)
Players released: Dwayne Bravo, Danish Aziz, Dwayne Smith, Anwar Ali, Fawad Ahmed, Ghulam Mudassar, Harry Gurney, Jalat Khan, Max Waller, Mohammad Azam Khan, Mohammad Asghar, Mohammad Irfan Jr, Rilee Rossouw, Saud Shakil, and Sohail Tanvir
Multan Sultans
Players retained: Mohammad Irfan (Platinum), Shahid Afridi (Diamond as Player Mentor), James Vince (Gold as Brand Ambassador), Junaid Khan (Gold), Ali Shafiq, Shan Masood (both Silver) and Mohammad Ilyas (Emerging)
Players released: Chris Green, Dan Christian, Andre Russell (not available in 2020), Steve Smith (not available in 2020), Hammad Azam, Johnson Charles, Laurie Evans, M. Irfan Khan, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Abbas, Joe Denly, Mohammad Junaid, Nicholas Pooran, Numan Ali, Tom Moores, Qais Ahmed, Shakeel Ansar, and Umar Siddiq.
