Pakistan Super League 2018: Trade & retention window now open

[Michael Chopra]

Would a player like AB want to play under Aqib? Aqib should be sacked with all of his Pakistani friends in LQ setup. Paddy Upton is one of the best coaches in franchise cricket and he was removed due to him

[The cricket enthusiast]

sarfraz shouting on Umar mmmm..
that will be interesting to watch

[ARK Rafay]

Lahore Qalandars.

The issue they have is that they spend a serious amount of money on their Overseas players, and they must have the biggest draw name playing for them. From Chris Gayle to McCullum and as rumours suggest, they will now go for AB DeVilliers. This is the reason why they must compromise on spending well on their coaching staff, background statisticians etc. They want to become a global brand and tbh, they are doing well because no doubt they are the most followed side in the PSL. Most appealing and their matches really are the talk of the town, mainly because of their batting collapses even though they have some huge names

Yup. In contrast to Isb or even Quetta. They're backing on their management.

Would it be a wise choice to pick Steve Smith instead of AB for Lahore? (If they're also going for Lynn?) I think yes. Because he provides stability and is a good captain too. Smith is working to make a comeback. While AB has retired.

[Brilliance]

Lahore should pick up Steven Smith instead of AB. This coming from a big fan of AB. SS will provide the much needed stability to the middle order of LQ and he is a very good choice for captaincy too.

[Rana]

Yup. In contrast to Isb or even Quetta. They're backing on their management.

Would it be a wise choice to pick Steve Smith instead of AB for Lahore? (If they're also going for Lynn?) I think yes. Because he provides stability and is a good captain too. Smith is working to make a comeback. While AB has retired.

I dont think going for Smith over AB would be a wise choice in the long run. Steven Smith is only biding his time this year by playing PSL and he will not be available or properly available next year. What LQ need is a full time captain who would be committed throughout and now that AB has officially retired it would make sense to invest in him for the next 2 PSLs at least.

Naturally Smith would be a fantastic choice for a long term plan but the harsh reality is that once he gets back into the Australian set up, he like many of the other big names of T20 across the globe would be unavailable and not 100% committed with IPL around the corner

[CricVet]

I believe Umar has a better chance of doing well under Sarfraz. If Viv is still the team mentor, his advice to him would be valuable. Umar's talent is undeniable, it is his lack of maturity which is questionable -lightly put. He must be approaching 30 I dunno. He can still turn things around with better fitness and attitude. He would need to man up, forget the past, and build the new future right under the nose of Pak team captain. I have always been his cricketting skill fan but his attitude as a team player is deplorable.

[mak36]

The trade has left me confused and slightly bewildered

Getting rid of Umar Akmal for Hassan Khan is a great move for Lahore, but why would get rid of a talented youngster for a guy who constantly has issues with either attitude or form

Personally I would keep Narine, but trading for a first round platinum pick is a pretty decent move. They have 2 opportunities in the very first round to pick two world class players

Surprised Quetta got rid of Rahat Ali, despite taking quite a few wickets last year. I understand they have Tanvir now, but ideally you would play Rahat and Tanvir together and try an offload Anwar Ali. Surely he’s worth more than a silver round pick

So here's my take on it.

As explained earlier, I think LQ's strategy is to bolster their Pakistani bowling contingent and to use their platinum/foreign quota to pick batsmen; this is why they have let Narine go. In short, they feel more value is added by using that foreign-platinum pick on a batsman, rather than a bowler/all rounder.

But what motivates QG to sign Umar Akmal?

This is where is gets interesting. The first two seasons QG reached the finals but lost. The first PSL final they lost fair and square, but the PSL2 final and PSL3 knock out games were hosted in Pakistan and QG were the team hurt the most when it came to losing players for the matches in Pakistan. This particularly affected QG's batting, as most their foreign picks were batsmen (KP, Shane Watson etc). They also wisely released Ahmed Shahzad but didn't bother replacing him so their batting reserves weren't great for PSL3; the fact they played Asad Shafiq and Umar Amin throughout the tournament demonstrated that.

In a roundabout way, the two teams have now taken opposite approaches; LQ want most of their platinum-foreign picks to be batsmen, whilst QG (once bitten, twice shy as it were) don't want to put their eggs in one basket- they would much rather have a more "balanced" squad with their "home" players forming the core of the team (in both bowling and batting) with the foreign players then adding value on top of that (kind of like IU lite). QG signing Narine is a good move but it has to be seen in the context of this new strategy; if QG want to reduce the number of foreign batsmen they pick they will invariably need to increase the number of foreign bowlers/bowling all rounders they pick (in order to meet the quotas). The same goes for QG releasing Rahat; they have already signed Sohail Tanvir (domestic pick) and if their strategy is to have more foreign bowlers then someone had to make way.

So why have the different approaches? Well, all of this boils down to the two sides having different motivations. Given their abject failure in the last three seasons, LQ are desperate to reach the play offs this season. What happens after that will happen. Even if they get knocked out immediately in the play offs (which is likely given they are likely to lose some of their foreign players for the Pakistan matches) they will view PSL4 as a win.

QG on the other hand, are sick of being the perenial runner ups; they want to build a team that can go the distance. (What may have been lost on QG is they have actually regressed over the three seasons but that is another story.) With the exception of PSL1, they clearly feel the reason they keep falling short is because they are the team hurt most by the loss of their foreign players. This season they have finally decided to do something about that and that has involved strengthening their domestic bench.

All of that is well and good in principle, but serious questions have to be asked about the implementation of their respective strategies:

QG

i. Was Umar Akmal seriously the best QG could do? It's all well and good strengthening your domestic batting reserves but there are better, safer picks than Umar Akmal.
ii. Why not take a more balanced approach and also sign foreign batsmen who are willing to tour Pakistan (like most the other franchises did)?
iii. Was it really necessary for QG to release their highest wicket taker to make this deal happen (why not just release Anwar Ali when the time came!)

LQ

i. Did LQ really need to sign Rahat Ali? He bowled well last PSL but there are better options out there and getting QG's platinum pick was enough IMO.
ii. Is LQ actually planning on fixing its biggest problem? They still need to sign a local batsman who can play the accumulator role for them; someone like Haris would be perfect. If anything it was their over-reliance on foreign batsmen (who didn't fire/were injured) which hurt them last PSL.

All in all, regardless of what you think of their competing strategies, when it comes to the implementation LQ win in this deal; they have gained two solid domestic bowlers and more importantly have removed Umar Akmal off their books. Sunil Narine will clearly add value to QG, but presumably this means Chris Green will be released. More to the point QG seemed to have rushed into making this deal happen, rather than scouting the domestic scene for batsmen/considered signing foreign batsmen who are willing to tour.

[Angrez Pakistani]

So here's my take on it.

As explained earlier, I think LQ's strategy is to bolster their Pakistani bowling contingent and to use their platinum/foreign quota to pick batsmen; this is why they have let Narine go. In short, they feel more value is added by using that foreign-platinum pick on a batsman, rather than a bowler/all rounder.

But what motivates QG to sign Umar Akmal?

This is where is gets interesting. The first two seasons QG reached the finals but lost. The first PSL final they lost fair and square, but the PSL2 final and PSL3 knock out games were hosted in Pakistan and QG were the team hurt the most when it came to losing players for the matches in Pakistan. This particularly affected QG's batting, as most their foreign picks were batsmen (KP, Shane Watson etc). They also wisely released Ahmed Shahzad but didn't bother replacing him so their batting reserves weren't great for PSL3; the fact they played Asad Shafiq and Umar Amin throughout the tournament demonstrated that.

In a roundabout way, the two teams have now taken opposite approaches; LQ want most of their platinum-foreign picks to be batsmen, whilst QG (once bitten, twice shy as it were) don't want to put their eggs in one basket- they would much rather have a more "balanced" squad with their "home" players forming the core of the team (in both bowling and batting) with the foreign players then adding value on top of that (kind of like IU lite). QG signing Narine is a good move but it has to be seen in the context of this new strategy; if QG want to reduce the number of foreign batsmen they pick they will invariably need to increase the number of foreign bowlers/bowling all rounders they pick (in order to meet the quotas). The same goes for QG releasing Rahat; they have already signed Sohail Tanvir (domestic pick) and if their strategy is to have more foreign bowlers then someone had to make way.

So why have the different approaches? Well, all of this boils down to the two sides having different motivations. Given their abject failure in the last three seasons, LQ are desperate to reach the play offs this season. What happens after that will happen. Even if they get knocked out immediately in the play offs (which is likely given they are likely to lose some of their foreign players for the Pakistan matches) they will view PSL4 as a win.

QG on the other hand, are sick of being the perenial runner ups; they want to build a team that can go the distance. (What may have been lost on QG is they have actually regressed over the three seasons but that is another story.) With the exception of PSL1, they clearly feel the reason they keep falling short is because they are the team hurt most by the loss of their foreign players. This season they have finally decided to do something about that and that has involved strengthening their domestic bench.

All of that is well and good in principle, but serious questions have to be asked about the implementation of their respective strategies:

QG

i. Was Umar Akmal seriously the best QG could do? It's all well and good strengthening your domestic batting reserves but there are better, safer picks than Umar Akmal.
ii. Why not take a more balanced approach and also sign foreign batsmen who are willing to tour Pakistan (like most the other franchises did)?
iii. Was it really necessary for QG to release their highest wicket taker to make this deal happen (why not just release Anwar Ali when the time came!)

LQ

i. Did LQ really need to sign Rahat Ali? He bowled well last PSL but there are better options out there and getting QG's platinum pick was enough IMO.
ii. Is LQ actually planning on fixing its biggest problem? They still need to sign a local batsman who can play the accumulator role for them; someone like Haris would be perfect. If anything it was their over-reliance on foreign batsmen (who didn't fire/were injured) which hurt them last PSL.

All in all, regardless of what you think of their competing strategies, when it comes to the implementation LQ win in this deal; they have gained two solid domestic bowlers and more importantly have removed Umar Akmal off their books. Sunil Narine will clearly add value to QG, but presumably this means Chris Green will be released. More to the point QG seemed to have rushed into making this deal happen, rather than scouting the domestic scene for batsmen/considered signing foreign batsmen who are willing to tour.

Make sense. But do you think there is there any other alternative to Umar Akmal that QG could’ve picked?

[Angrez Pakistani]

So here's my take on it.

As explained earlier, I think LQ's strategy is to bolster their Pakistani bowling contingent and to use their platinum/foreign quota to pick batsmen; this is why they have let Narine go. In short, they feel more value is added by using that foreign-platinum pick on a batsman, rather than a bowler/all rounder.

But what motivates QG to sign Umar Akmal?

This is where is gets interesting. The first two seasons QG reached the finals but lost. The first PSL final they lost fair and square, but the PSL2 final and PSL3 knock out games were hosted in Pakistan and QG were the team hurt the most when it came to losing players for the matches in Pakistan. This particularly affected QG's batting, as most their foreign picks were batsmen (KP, Shane Watson etc). They also wisely released Ahmed Shahzad but didn't bother replacing him so their batting reserves weren't great for PSL3; the fact they played Asad Shafiq and Umar Amin throughout the tournament demonstrated that.

In a roundabout way, the two teams have now taken opposite approaches; LQ want most of their platinum-foreign picks to be batsmen, whilst QG (once bitten, twice shy as it were) don't want to put their eggs in one basket- they would much rather have a more "balanced" squad with their "home" players forming the core of the team (in both bowling and batting) with the foreign players then adding value on top of that (kind of like IU lite). QG signing Narine is a good move but it has to be seen in the context of this new strategy; if QG want to reduce the number of foreign batsmen they pick they will invariably need to increase the number of foreign bowlers/bowling all rounders they pick (in order to meet the quotas). The same goes for QG releasing Rahat; they have already signed Sohail Tanvir (domestic pick) and if their strategy is to have more foreign bowlers then someone had to make way.

So why have the different approaches? Well, all of this boils down to the two sides having different motivations. Given their abject failure in the last three seasons, LQ are desperate to reach the play offs this season. What happens after that will happen. Even if they get knocked out immediately in the play offs (which is likely given they are likely to lose some of their foreign players for the Pakistan matches) they will view PSL4 as a win.

QG on the other hand, are sick of being the perenial runner ups; they want to build a team that can go the distance. (What may have been lost on QG is they have actually regressed over the three seasons but that is another story.) With the exception of PSL1, they clearly feel the reason they keep falling short is because they are the team hurt most by the loss of their foreign players. This season they have finally decided to do something about that and that has involved strengthening their domestic bench.

All of that is well and good in principle, but serious questions have to be asked about the implementation of their respective strategies:

QG

i. Was Umar Akmal seriously the best QG could do? It's all well and good strengthening your domestic batting reserves but there are better, safer picks than Umar Akmal.
ii. Why not take a more balanced approach and also sign foreign batsmen who are willing to tour Pakistan (like most the other franchises did)?
iii. Was it really necessary for QG to release their highest wicket taker to make this deal happen (why not just release Anwar Ali when the time came!)

LQ

i. Did LQ really need to sign Rahat Ali? He bowled well last PSL but there are better options out there and getting QG's platinum pick was enough IMO.
ii. Is LQ actually planning on fixing its biggest problem? They still need to sign a local batsman who can play the accumulator role for them; someone like Haris would be perfect. If anything it was their over-reliance on foreign batsmen (who didn't fire/were injured) which hurt them last PSL.

All in all, regardless of what you think of their competing strategies, when it comes to the implementation LQ win in this deal; they have gained two solid domestic bowlers and more importantly have removed Umar Akmal off their books. Sunil Narine will clearly add value to QG, but presumably this means Chris Green will be released. More to the point QG seemed to have rushed into making this deal happen, rather than scouting the domestic scene for batsmen/considered signing foreign batsmen who are willing to tour.

Make sense. But do you think there is there any other alternative to Umar Akmal that QG could’ve picked?

[Hedz]

So here's my take on it.

As explained earlier, I think LQ's strategy is to bolster their Pakistani bowling contingent and to use their platinum/foreign quota to pick batsmen; this is why they have let Narine go. In short, they feel more value is added by using that foreign-platinum pick on a batsman, rather than a bowler/all rounder.

But what motivates QG to sign Umar Akmal?

This is where is gets interesting. The first two seasons QG reached the finals but lost. The first PSL final they lost fair and square, but the PSL2 final and PSL3 knock out games were hosted in Pakistan and QG were the team hurt the most when it came to losing players for the matches in Pakistan. This particularly affected QG's batting, as most their foreign picks were batsmen (KP, Shane Watson etc). They also wisely released Ahmed Shahzad but didn't bother replacing him so their batting reserves weren't great for PSL3; the fact they played Asad Shafiq and Umar Amin throughout the tournament demonstrated that.

In a roundabout way, the two teams have now taken opposite approaches; LQ want most of their platinum-foreign picks to be batsmen, whilst QG (once bitten, twice shy as it were) don't want to put their eggs in one basket- they would much rather have a more "balanced" squad with their "home" players forming the core of the team (in both bowling and batting) with the foreign players then adding value on top of that (kind of like IU lite). QG signing Narine is a good move but it has to be seen in the context of this new strategy; if QG want to reduce the number of foreign batsmen they pick they will invariably need to increase the number of foreign bowlers/bowling all rounders they pick (in order to meet the quotas). The same goes for QG releasing Rahat; they have already signed Sohail Tanvir (domestic pick) and if their strategy is to have more foreign bowlers then someone had to make way.

So why have the different approaches? Well, all of this boils down to the two sides having different motivations. Given their abject failure in the last three seasons, LQ are desperate to reach the play offs this season. What happens after that will happen. Even if they get knocked out immediately in the play offs (which is likely given they are likely to lose some of their foreign players for the Pakistan matches) they will view PSL4 as a win.

QG on the other hand, are sick of being the perenial runner ups; they want to build a team that can go the distance. (What may have been lost on QG is they have actually regressed over the three seasons but that is another story.) With the exception of PSL1, they clearly feel the reason they keep falling short is because they are the team hurt most by the loss of their foreign players. This season they have finally decided to do something about that and that has involved strengthening their domestic bench.

All of that is well and good in principle, but serious questions have to be asked about the implementation of their respective strategies:

QG

i. Was Umar Akmal seriously the best QG could do? It's all well and good strengthening your domestic batting reserves but there are better, safer picks than Umar Akmal.
ii. Why not take a more balanced approach and also sign foreign batsmen who are willing to tour Pakistan (like most the other franchises did)?
iii. Was it really necessary for QG to release their highest wicket taker to make this deal happen (why not just release Anwar Ali when the time came!)

LQ

i. Did LQ really need to sign Rahat Ali? He bowled well last PSL but there are better options out there and getting QG's platinum pick was enough IMO.
ii. Is LQ actually planning on fixing its biggest problem? They still need to sign a local batsman who can play the accumulator role for them; someone like Haris would be perfect. If anything it was their over-reliance on foreign batsmen (who didn't fire/were injured) which hurt them last PSL.

All in all, regardless of what you think of their competing strategies, when it comes to the implementation LQ win in this deal; they have gained two solid domestic bowlers and more importantly have removed Umar Akmal off their books. Sunil Narine will clearly add value to QG, but presumably this means Chris Green will be released. More to the point QG seemed to have rushed into making this deal happen, rather than scouting the domestic scene for batsmen/considered signing foreign batsmen who are willing to tour.

Lots of valid and interesting points raised. It’s good to see teams reflecting on their strategy and looking to improve, ideally that is what all PSL teams should be doing. Apart from helping their own sides, it will increase competition in the league and also provides the opportunity of better players coming out of the PSL (with designated roles).

For Quetta, releasing Anwar Ali would have been best, but I’m guessing his batting against PZ is why they want to keep him.
For Lahore, a Haris sohail, Babar Azam (never gonna happen), Hafeez type Player they are desperately in search for
Out of the lot, Haris Sohail is the easiest target, being wasted at PZ and Lahore should try and secure his services before the trade window closes.

[mak36]

Make sense. But do you think there is there any other alternative to Umar Akmal that QG could’ve picked?

Yes.

[Angrez Pakistani]

Yes.

?

[Savak]

Umar Akmal has pawned Mccullam, after everything that happened in the previous season, Umar Akmal still got picked up by Quetta Gladiators whereas Mccullam doesn't even have a franchise now.

[TeymurBlake]

?

He's trying to say there are options available and after the last two seasons of PSL, would be much better than Umar Akmal

(well I hope that's what he is saying)

[Angrez Pakistani]

He's trying to say there are options available and after the last two seasons of PSL, would be much better than Umar Akmal

(well I hope that's what he is saying)

That’s what I was asking. Who? Which options?

[Michael Chopra]

Umar Akmal has pawned Mccullam, after everything that happened in the previous season, Umar Akmal still got picked up by Quetta Gladiators whereas Mccullam doesn't even have a franchise now.

Umar Akmal only got picked because he's a Pakistani otherwise he wouldn't have been royally ignored in the drafts of Mzansi Super League.

[TeymurBlake]

That’s what I was asking. Who? Which options?

Well anyone really. Players who are good hitters of T20 cricket such as Saud Shakeel, potentially even Nauman Anwar. He's talking about middle order hitters. But Lahore's problem last season was a lack of support players such as Haris Sohail or someone like Kane Williamson. They had too many hitters in the top 6.

[QalandarFan]

So glad we are getting AB De Villiers next season!!!

Bowling once again seems good, as far as batting goes we need someone like a Babar Azam, Agha Salman I feel can play that role well but he is very inexperienced.

We also to dispose of Ramdin as a wicket-keeper I mean seriously I'd rather we develop a young wicket-keeper than retain Ramdin who adds nothing to our team.

[CricketDon]

Umar had a terrible campaign last year but he is a much better T20 player than that.

I think he can do well at Quetta and replicating some of his early PSL performances.

Narine is also a good addition. Pairing him with Nawaz will make it very hard for teams to post above par scores against them.

True. People’s blind hate covers their eyes to statistics. Umar Akmal and narine are a strong edition to QG.

I can see them winning PSL4

[Michael Chopra]

So glad we are getting AB De Villiers next season!!!

Bowling once again seems good, as far as batting goes we need someone like a Babar Azam, Agha Salman I feel can play that role well but he is very inexperienced.

We also to dispose of Ramdin as a wicket-keeper I mean seriously I'd rather we develop a young wicket-keeper than retain Ramdin who adds nothing to our team.

I think Phil Salt will be selected as a wicketkeeper even though he is not actually a keeper.

[QalandarFan]

I think Phil Salt will be selected as a wicketkeeper even though he is not actually a keeper.

Lol never heard of him if Sam Billings is apart of the pool of players I would select him.

[QalandarFan]

Hears me predicting the platinum round

1st Pick - Lahore Qalandars: AB De Villiers
2nd Pick - Multan Sultans: Steve Smith
3rd Pick - Quetta Gladiators: Colin Munro
4th Pick - Karachi Kings: Rashid Khan
5th Pick - Peshawar Zalmi: I have no clue
6th Pick - Islamabad United: No Idea

[Michael Chopra]

Hears me predicting the platinum round

1st Pick - Lahore Qalandars: AB De Villiers
2nd Pick - Multan Sultans: Steve Smith
3rd Pick - Quetta Gladiators: Colin Munro
4th Pick - Karachi Kings: Rashid Khan
5th Pick - Peshawar Zalmi: I have no clue
6th Pick - Islamabad United: No Idea

I think if Rashid is available then we should just pick him up in the first round because that guy is a superstar we don't deserve but we need.

[Angrez Pakistani]

KK might retain Munro. Rashid isn’t available as far as I know. If he is then QG will retain him.

Hears me predicting the platinum round

1st Pick - Lahore Qalandars: AB De Villiers
2nd Pick - Multan Sultans: Steve Smith
3rd Pick - Quetta Gladiators: Colin Munro
4th Pick - Karachi Kings: Rashid Khan
5th Pick - Peshawar Zalmi: I have no clue
6th Pick - Islamabad United: No Idea

[QalandarFan]

I think if Rashid is available then we should just pick him up in the first round because that guy is a superstar we don't deserve but we need.

Nah our bowling is quite good it's our batting that is weak.

[TeymurBlake]

Hears me predicting the platinum round

1st Pick - Lahore Qalandars: AB De Villiers
2nd Pick - Multan Sultans: Steve Smith
3rd Pick - Quetta Gladiators: Colin Munro
4th Pick - Karachi Kings: Rashid Khan
5th Pick - Peshawar Zalmi: I have no clue
6th Pick - Islamabad United: No Idea

I would suspect Karachi to retain Munro, specially after the recent T20 series.

[Abdullah719]

Hears me predicting the platinum round

1st Pick - Lahore Qalandars: AB De Villiers
2nd Pick - Multan Sultans: Steve Smith
3rd Pick - Quetta Gladiators: Colin Munro
4th Pick - Karachi Kings: Rashid Khan
5th Pick - Peshawar Zalmi: I have no clue
6th Pick - Islamabad United: No Idea

Unless I am very much mistaken, LQ have taken QG's platinum pick as a result of the Umar Akmal/Sunil Narine trade.

This deal will also see Lahore taking Quetta’s first round Platinum pick and Quetta getting Lahore’s Silver round pick in the second round.

[Hedz]

Unless I am very much mistaken, LQ have taken QG's platinum pick as a result of the Umar Akmal/Sunil Narine trade.

Yeah, Lahore have 2 picks in the first round

[Hedz]

Hears me predicting the platinum round

1st Pick - Lahore Qalandars: AB De Villiers
2nd Pick - Multan Sultans: Steve Smith
3rd Pick - Quetta Gladiators: Colin Munro
4th Pick - Karachi Kings: Rashid Khan
5th Pick - Peshawar Zalmi: I have no clue
6th Pick - Islamabad United: No Idea

For me:

1st pick LQ- AB
2nd pick MS- Steven Smith/Chris Lynn
3rd pick LQ- Chris Lynn/Steven Smith
4th pick KK- (already made their picks through retention’s)
5th pick PZ- (already made their picks through retention’s)
6th pick ISLU- (already made their picks through retention’s)

PZ possibly may make an overseas pick, but atm I think they will retain two Pakistanis (Kamran and Hassan) and 1 overseas (DJ Bravo)
If they decide not to retain Bravo, they might go for Brendon McCullum (best available player given availability issues)

[hailian]

Hello friends,

There is not much work in office today so I thought to throw a question to all PSL fans and gurus out here. As the PSL retention window is closing up in a week so thought to share my couple of concerns for Zalmi and Karachi fans in Platinum picks.

So let’s talk about Zalmi first, if you notice Kamran Akmal and Hassan Ali are promoted to Platinum categories so now Zalmi have 4 local Platinum players having Hafeez, Wahab, Hassan Ali and Kamran Akmal. The problem I see is that they have to release at least one of them back to the draft pool as they could retain max 3 platinum players but even if they do so they won’t be able to buy any foreign player from platinum category either. Which means they have to let go Dwaye Barvo as well, unless they drop 2 players. So let’s guess which player they will drop? In my opinion it might be Wahab Riaz as he is aging. And with Hafeez in such a good form they may retain him and let Bravo go. Hassan Ali is young with a long future so I don’t think so they will let him go nor Kamran Akmal as there are not many wicket keepers in draft pool.

Karachi is facing the similar problem after Babar being promoted to Platinum. They have to release Colin Ingram or Munro as I don’t think so they will release any from Amir, Babar or Afridi. Would they?

What you guys think? Let’s discuss!

[Ummii]

Hello friends,

There is not much work in office today so I thought to throw a question to all PSL fans and gurus out here. As the PSL retention window is closing up in a week so thought to share my couple of concerns for Zalmi and Karachi fans in Platinum picks.

So let’s talk about Zalmi first, if you notice Kamran Akmal and Hassan Ali are promoted to Platinum categories so now Zalmi have 4 local Platinum players having Hafeez, Wahab, Hassan Ali and Kamran Akmal. The problem I see is that they have to release at least one of them back to the draft pool as they could retain max 3 platinum players but even if they do so they won’t be able to buy any foreign player from platinum category either. Which means they have to let go Dwaye Barvo as well, unless they drop 2 players. So let’s guess which player they will drop? In my opinion it might be Wahab Riaz as he is aging. And with Hafeez in such a good form they may retain him and let Bravo go. Hassan Ali is young with a long future so I don’t think so they will let him go nor Kamran Akmal as there are not many wicket keepers in draft pool.

Karachi is facing the similar problem after Babar being promoted to Platinum. They have to release Colin Ingram or Munro as I don’t think so they will release any from Amir, Babar or Afridi. Would they?

What you guys think? Let’s discuss!

Well they are not going to release Babar or Afridi. It is obvious that they're going to release Amir, Lahore or Quetta would go for him for sure.

[Darkrai]

Hello friends,

There is not much work in office today so I thought to throw a question to all PSL fans and gurus out here. As the PSL retention window is closing up in a week so thought to share my couple of concerns for Zalmi and Karachi fans in Platinum picks.

So let’s talk about Zalmi first, if you notice Kamran Akmal and Hassan Ali are promoted to Platinum categories so now Zalmi have 4 local Platinum players having Hafeez, Wahab, Hassan Ali and Kamran Akmal. The problem I see is that they have to release at least one of them back to the draft pool as they could retain max 3 platinum players but even if they do so they won’t be able to buy any foreign player from platinum category either. Which means they have to let go Dwaye Barvo as well, unless they drop 2 players. So let’s guess which player they will drop? In my opinion it might be Wahab Riaz as he is aging. And with Hafeez in such a good form they may retain him and let Bravo go. Hassan Ali is young with a long future so I don’t think so they will let him go nor Kamran Akmal as there are not many wicket keepers in draft pool.

Karachi is facing the similar problem after Babar being promoted to Platinum. They have to release Colin Ingram or Munro as I don’t think so they will release any from Amir, Babar or Afridi. Would they?

What you guys think? Let’s discuss!

Hassan hasn't been that impressive in T20s tbh, but because he is young and does have potential i think they will retain him. Akmal scored 2 100s last season and plus he is a wicket keeper as well, so he should be retained. Hafeez is in great touch plus his bowling can be very usefully, dropping him wouldn't make much sense. Wahab was excellent last season but like you said he is aging. For me it comes down to Hasan and Wahab. I would retain Hassan because of his potential.

Karachi should retain Munro, he is one of the best in T20s, he will give them explosive starts. They will obviously retain Babar and Afridi. It comes down to Ingram and Amir. If they are light on bowling then they should release Ingram, however, if their bowling is good then they should release Amir.

[hailian]

Hassan hasn't been that impressive in T20s tbh, but because he is young and does have potential i think they will retain him. Akmal scored 2 100s last season and plus he is a wicket keeper as well, so he should be retained. Hafeez is in great touch plus his bowling can be very usefully, dropping him wouldn't make much sense. Wahab was excellent last season but like you said he is aging. For me it comes down to Hasan and Wahab. I would retain Hassan because of his potential.

Karachi should retain Munro, he is one of the best in T20s, he will give them explosive starts. They will obviously retain Babar and Afridi. It comes down to Ingram and Amir. If they are light on bowling then they should release Ingram, however, if their bowling is good then they should release Amir.

I had a twitter conversation with PSL management and according to him all franchises should retain at least one local and one foreign in platinum. So this means Zalmi has to release two of their local lads and Karachi has to release one. So I’m guessing Zalmi may release Wahab and Hafeez, while Karachi may release Amir.

Tough decisions for both of them!

[Abdullah719]

Thanks @PeshawarZalmi & @JAfridi10 for such a great journey of 3yrs full of fond memories. Had fabulous time with U all. Now I decided to go to Draft of @thePSLt20 , Thanks to all fans of @PeshawarZalmi for their unconditional love & support. wishing u all the best for future

— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) November 8, 2018

[Hedz]

Not surprised with Hafeez leaving, expect Wahab to follow too

[MenInG]

Thanks @PeshawarZalmi & @JAfridi10 for such a great journey of 3yrs full of fond memories. Had fabulous time with U all. Now I decided to go to Draft of @thePSLt20 , Thanks to all fans of @PeshawarZalmi for their unconditional love & support. wishing u all the best for future

— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) November 8, 2018

Good thing - as they say in Urdu

Harkat mai barkat hai

[MenInG]

You are most welcome. It has been a pleasure to have you play for @PeshawarZalmi. Wishing you the best of luck for your future endeavors and hope you have a wonderful season ahead.Thank you & to your family for the constant support for Zalmi as well. Best wishes from Zalmi Family https://t.co/uYlcFxHmah

— Javed Afridi 阿夫里迪 (@JAfridi10) November 8, 2018

[QalandarFan]

Oh this is great, LQ should pick up Hafeez Sobers as well.

[hailian]

Oh this is great, LQ should pick up Hafeez Sobers as well.

I'm sure Karachi will release M Amir so i'll rather pick Amir in platinum and if Hafeez remain unsold in platinum then he will be my first Diamond pick and a skipper of LQ too.

[TeymurBlake]

A lot of teams will be looking at Hafeez in the PSL Draft. Quetta need a middle order batsman after KP's retirement, Lahore need a stable middle order batsman, Karachi could also use a experience middle order batsman maybe an opener with Babar. Multan Sultans will also probably be looking at Hafeez since losing Sanga to retirement and finally Islamabad have lost Misbah so again experience is available in the shape of Hafeez.

Personally I think he may go to Quetta or Lahore. If he does go to Lahore, they might give him the captaincy.

[Savak]

Thanks @PeshawarZalmi & @JAfridi10 for such a great journey of 3yrs full of fond memories. Had fabulous time with U all. Now I decided to go to Draft of @thePSLt20 , Thanks to all fans of @PeshawarZalmi for their unconditional love & support. wishing u all the best for future

— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) November 8, 2018

This does not make sense, if you are happy in a particular team and talk about the stuff like we are a family etc, then why would you even consider leaving. Extreme treachery in my eyes

[Ummii]

A lot of teams will be looking at Hafeez in the PSL Draft. Quetta need a middle order batsman after KP's retirement, Lahore need a stable middle order batsman, Karachi could also use a experience middle order batsman maybe an opener with Babar. Multan Sultans will also probably be looking at Hafeez since losing Sanga to retirement and finally Islamabad have lost Misbah so again experience is available in the shape of Hafeez.

Personally I think he may go to Quetta or Lahore. If he does go to Lahore, they might give him the captaincy.

Lahore got 2 platinum picks so it is obvious that they will go for Hafeez and AB.

[Hasan123]

Hafeez will join LQ. I think PZ see the writing on the wall in terms of Hafeezs career. Inzi should take note .

[mak36]

This does not make sense, if you are happy in a particular team and talk about the stuff like we are a family etc, then why would you even consider leaving. Extreme treachery in my eyes

PZ wanted to release him, but out of respect they let him announce it so it appears he is leaving on his own terms.

[mak36]

ii. Is LQ actually planning on fixing its biggest problem? They still need to sign a local batsman who can play the accumulator role for them; someone like Haris would be perfect. If anything it was their over-reliance on foreign batsmen (who didn't fire/were injured) which hurt them last PSL.

So Hafeez will most likely go to LQ. Personally I would have gone for Haris Sohail (cheaper, younger, classier) but I can see the value of Hafeez to LQ.

Whatever happens, it looks like my analysis was correct .

As long as they don't be stupid and pick Nazir etc, LQ have a serious shot at PSL4. The only caveat is the one I have mentioned above (losing players for the games in Pakistan). Their batting strength for those matches will be key.

[mak36]

I had a twitter conversation with PSL management and according to him all franchises should retain at least one local and one foreign in platinum. So this means Zalmi has to release two of their local lads and Karachi has to release one. So I’m guessing Zalmi may release Wahab and Hafeez, while Karachi may release Amir.

Tough decisions for both of them!

Very useful. Thanks for sharing.

[TeymurBlake]

Lahore got 2 platinum picks so it is obvious that they will go for Hafeez and AB.

Two stable middle order batsman.

[Hedz]

A lot of teams will be looking at Hafeez in the PSL Draft. Quetta need a middle order batsman after KP's retirement, Lahore need a stable middle order batsman, Karachi could also use a experience middle order batsman maybe an opener with Babar. Multan Sultans will also probably be looking at Hafeez since losing Sanga to retirement and finally Islamabad have lost Misbah so again experience is available in the shape of Hafeez.

Personally I think he may go to Quetta or Lahore. If he does go to Lahore, they might give him the captaincy.

Bearing in mind retentions, you can narrow that down further
The bottom 3 teams only ones with a realistic chance of signing him

[Sadozai]

I think Kings should release Lala Afridi.

[Ummii]

I think Kings should release Lala Afridi.

They won't release Afridi, Imad and Babar at any cost.

[Angrez Pakistani]

I think Quetta might pick Arshad Iqbal in the draft as an emerging player.

[hailian]

Hafeez is definitely in good form but I won’t pick him over ABD and Amir in platinum. Amir has lot of years of cricket left and we need a game changer like ABD in our team. Though Hafeez is in good form these days but he is on verge of retiring while Amir could serve LQ for years to come.

The good thing for Lahore is that only Quetta could pick one guy from Amir or Hafeez in Platinum now. All other teams have 2 local platinum players in their list already. So Lahore would have a chance to catch one of them in Diamond round for sure.

[Sadozai]

They won't release Afridi, Imad and Babar at any cost.

I know that but keeping in view of Afridi's performance in recent T20s, he should be released.

[hailian]

I know that but keeping in view of Afridi's performance in recent T20s, he should be released.

Not possible as he is the president of Karachi Kings!

[Ummii]

Not possible as he is the president of Karachi Kings!

Even Salman Iqbal the owner mentioned that he is a fan of Afridi and Imad, and Babar is Mickey's favorite (However PCB won't allow him to participate as a coach of KK) but these guys wont be released. KK should come up with some young bloods. I'd rather prefer to swap Amir to Diamond or Gold picks with any team.

[Barragan]

Highly doubt LQ will want to pick up Hafeez in the platinum category.

They have Zam and Lynn in platinum, meaning one would have to be dropped or they can retain both and let go of ABD or whoever they wanted in the first pick, to accommodate him.

Best bet would be in diamond, if he is still around and he most likely will be available by then.

[QalandarFan]

I'm sure Karachi will release M Amir so i'll rather pick Amir in platinum and if Hafeez remain unsold in platinum then he will be my first Diamond pick and a skipper of LQ too.

Hafeez Sobers will not go unpicked in the first round.

[alirabbi1129]

According to reports, AB will only be available for the first two weeks of the tournament only i.e. from 14 Feb to 28 Feb. And Smith will only be available for the UAE leg of the tournament i.e. the first 8 or 9 matches.

[trickyone]

According to reports, AB will only be available for the first two weeks of the tournament only i.e. from 14 Feb to 28 Feb. And Smith will only be available for the UAE leg of the tournament i.e. the first 8 or 9 matches.

Shouldn't be selected for PSL at first place...

[Hedz]

According to reports, AB will only be available for the first two weeks of the tournament only i.e. from 14 Feb to 28 Feb. And Smith will only be available for the UAE leg of the tournament i.e. the first 8 or 9 matches.

2 weeks is a joke
If that’s true, no one should pick him until supplementary rounds. No point wasting a first round platinum pick on a player whose only available for two weeks

[hailian]

2 weeks is a joke
If that’s true, no one should pick him until supplementary rounds. No point wasting a first round platinum pick on a player whose only available for two weeks

The news is correct, he is available for first 7 matches only due to his domestic commitment. This is what he committed upon signing PSL contract.

[Titan24]

I think Quetta might pick Arshad Iqbal in the draft as an emerging player.

If that happens we might see PSL inducting another player to international team.

Though we desperately need two good batsmen.

[Angrez Pakistani]

If that happens we might see PSL inducting another player to international team.

Though we desperately need two good batsmen.

Don’t think franchises are willing to bet on young batsmen yet.

[hailian]

Would a player like AB want to play under Aqib? Aqib should be sacked with all of his Pakistani friends in LQ setup. Paddy Upton is one of the best coaches in franchise cricket and he was removed due to him

Agree, I wish LQ sack Aaqib sooner than later!

[Arsalan Pro]

It seems like Karachi will leave out Babar, as it has been reported that Kings wanted Babar relegated to Diamond Category to retain all 3 of Afridi, Amir and Babar but he refused.

[hailian]

Breaking news: Multan Sultan contract has been terminated by PCB due to non payment

[Darkrai]

Breaking news: Multan Sultan contract has been terminated by PCB due to non payment

Will they participate in PSL 4? or will there be only 5 teams??

[fluke]

shamful

[Angrez Pakistani]

Breaking news: Multan Sultan contract has been terminated by PCB due to non payment

Any credible sources? Haven’t seen much in the media.

[ARK Rafay]

What if MS picks Lynn in their 1st round? LQ would get away with both De Villiers and Smith

[ARK Rafay]

Breaking news: Multan Sultan contract has been terminated by PCB due to non payment

It had to happen sooner or later.

If not a new team will this apply?

What if MS picks Lynn in their 1st round? LQ would get away with both De Villiers and Smith

[Angrez Pakistani]

Joint press release - PCB and Schon Properties Broker LLC:
PCB Terminates Franchise Rights of Multan PSL Teamhttps://t.co/nc9kbfGrIH

— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) November 10, 2018

[Hedz]

Reports suggest Afridi is on his way out from Karachi Kings
Also suggest he’s heading for Lahore Qalandars

If Qalandars pick Afridi, especially in platinum category, it would be a total disaster for the Qalandars at the draft again!

[ataullah]

Reports suggest Afridi is on his way out from Karachi Kings
Also suggest he’s heading for Lahore Qalandars

If Qalandars pick Afridi, especially in platinum category, it would be a total disaster for the Qalandars at the draft again!

He's going back to draft but I doubt he'll go to qalandars. That would be disastrous for them

[Hedz]

He's going back to draft but I doubt he'll go to qalandars. That would be disastrous for them

It really would be disastrous for any team (with all due respect), Afridi in platinum is a waste. Afridi really needs to think about retiring, if not PSL4, definitely before PSL5!

If Qalandars do pick him in the draft, they would be shooting themselves in the foot

[hailian]

Will they participate in PSL 4? or will there be only 5 teams??

PCB confirms that the fourth edition of PSL will go ahead as planned with 6 teams and the same number of matches. The Board will take complete responsibility of all player & coach contracts. Pending further updates, the team shall be referred to as “The Sixth Team” of PSL. When it will be sold the new owner will name it with their new name.

[ARK Rafay]

PCB confirms that the fourth edition of PSL will go ahead as planned with 6 teams and the same number of matches. The Board will take complete responsibility of all player & coach contracts. Pending further updates, the team shall be referred to as “The Sixth Team” of PSL. When it will be sold the new owner will name it with their new name.

Woah. So we'll see a team names "The Sixth Team" "TST" in the drafts? And a new owner will acquire the team before the start of PSL. I'm feeling something bad can happen

[Abdullah719]

New Zealand All-rounder Corey Anderson has signed up for Pakistan Super League Season Four in the Platinum category.

[Hedz]

Corey Anderson is a bit of an average player
Feel he’s too overrated, would be better in diamond category

[Angrez Pakistani]

Woah. So we'll see a team names "The Sixth Team" "TST" in the drafts? And a new owner will acquire the team before the start of PSL. I'm feeling something bad can happen

PCB Sixers!