PSL 2023: Star batter Babar Azam will replace Wahab Riaz as Peshawar Zalmi’s captain for the 2023 season of the Pakistan Super League. After trading in Babar from Karachi Kings in exchange for Shoaib Malik and Haider Ali, the franchise continues a transformation that started in 2021 in the hope to form a new core. Follow InsideSport.IN for LIVE updates about IPL 2023 and PSL 2023
PSL 2023: Pakistan star batter Babar Azam replaces pacer Wahab Riaz as Peshawar Zalmi’s captain: Follow Live Updates
After all HBL PSL teams have appointed their Mentors and Ambassadors, here is the final retentions list: #HBLPSLDraft l #HBLPSL8 pic.twitter.com/VmyFnDiIHW
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) December 14, 2022
No team in the league’s history has had as loyal a core as Zalmi’s since its inception in 2016. Daren Sammy, Hasan Ali, Kamran Akmal and Wahab Riaz had worn no other colours until Hasan decided to leave last year.
There have been some hiccups though, like the misunderstanding with Akmal and the mid-season benching of their captain Sammy to appoint him as the coach.
Zalmi won the title in 2017 and have had a consistent run since, making the finals in 2018, 2019, and 2021 and the eliminator in 2020 and 2022. Wahab has been a stalwart for the team. He is the league’s leading wicket-taker and was retained by the franchise. But at 37 years old, his impact on the field isn’t what it used to be. Earlier this year, he was demoted from the platinum to diamond category of PSL players. Akmal, 40, has been released.
🚨 HBL PSL Draft Pick Order 🚨 #HBLPSLDraft l #HBLPSL8 pic.twitter.com/vmcx3jgU0I
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) December 14, 2022
Zalmi are in the market for 11 players in the PSL draft on December 15 in Karachi. They have already brought in hard-hitting batter Mohammad Haris along with Babar, and retained Sherfane Rutherford, Aamir Jamal (Brand Ambassador), Salman Irshad and Tom-Kohler Cadmore.
For Babar, the PSL journey started with Islamabad United in the inaugural edition in 2016 but he was ignored after two games. Since the following year, he represented Karachi Kings and bossed the charts with an average 43.60 and a strike rate of 121.97 on his way to become the tournament’s highest scorer, racking up 2413 runs in 68 matches.
However, his relationship with the franchise started to sour and the team slumped to the bottom under his captaincy, losing nine out of ten games. Kings will be led by Imad Wasim now.
PSL 2023 will be played between February 9 and March 19. Four venues – Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Multan – will host the matches, going up from two – Lahore and Karachi – in the previous two seasons, due to Covid-19.
PSL Draft
The following individuals fall under the platinum category: Aaron Finch, Matthew Wade, Shakib Al Hasan, Alex Hales, David Willey, Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali, Jimmy Neesham, David Miller, Adil Rasheed, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kieron Pollard, Mujeeb ur Rehman, Mohammad Nabi, Martin Guptil, Lungi Ngid
Meanwhile, the Diamond category includes Carlos Brathwaite, Imran Tahir, Saqib Mehmood, James Vince, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiq ur Rahim, Hazratullah Zazai, Will Jacks, Reeza Hendricks, Shai Hope, Sikandar Raza, and others.
Junior Dala and Temba Bavuma, two South Africans, have signed up for the PSL player draft’s Gold category.
However, a number of players from Bangladesh and England, including Shakeeb ul Hassan, Moeen Ali, and David Willey, are only partially available or whose availability depends on the side that is chosen for the bilateral series between the two nations.
Due to the bilateral series that both sides are slated to play in February, players from South Africa and the West Indies may also be partially available.
PSL 2023: Pakistan star batter Babar Azam replaces pacer Wahab Riaz as Peshawar Zalmi’s captain: Follow Live Updates
