Category: Cricket

Peshawar Zalmi on Wednesday revealed the retention prices of their four retained players, including star batter Babar Azam, ahead of the historic Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 players’ auction, scheduled for February 11.

The franchise confirmed the figures through PSL’s official social media accounts, with skipper Babar Azam retained in the Platinum category for PKR 70 million.

Sufyan Moqim, kept in the Diamond category, will earn PKR 44.8 million, while Abdul Samad, selected in the Gold category, is set to receive PKR 28 million. Saad Baig, retained under the Emerging category, will earn PKR 19.6 million.

The yellow storm is coming ⚡️

Peshawar Zalmi have confirmed their retentions for HBL PSL 2026, ahead of the upcoming Player’s Auction#HBLPSL | #NewEra pic.twitter.com/wnF8PepPto

— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 4, 2026

With these retentions, Peshawar Zalmi have so far spent PKR 162.4 million from their overall franchise budget ahead of the auction.

Each PSL 11 franchise has been allotted a total purse of PKR 450 million, with an additional PKR 55 million reserved for direct signings under the league’s new auction-based model.

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This year, PSL has introduced a major shift in player recruitment, replacing the traditional draft system with a full-fledged auction format for the first time in the league’s history.

Five of the six old franchises had announced their retained players by Tuesday, while Multan Sultans confirmed they will enter the auction with zero retentions, giving them the maximum purse to spend during the bidding process.

PSL 11 retentions

Lahore Qalandars: Shaheen Shah Afridi (Platinum), Abdullah Shafique (Diamond), Sikandar Raza (Gold), Mohammad Naeem (Silver)

Quetta Gladiators: Abrar Ahmed (Platinum), Usman Tariq (Diamond), Hasan Nawaz (Gold), Shamyl Hussain (Emerging)

Islamabad United: Shadab Khan (Platinum), Salman Irshad (Gold), Andries Gous (Silver)

Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (Platinum), Sufyan Moqim (Diamond), Abdul Samad (Gold), Ali Raza (Emerging)

Karachi Kings: Hasan Ali (Platinum), Mohammad Abbas Afridi (Diamond), Khushdil Shah (Gold), Saad Baig (Emerging)

READ: Karachi Kings reveal retention prices of four players ahead of PSL auction

Karachi Kings on Wednesday announced the retention prices of their four retained players ahead of the historic Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 players’ auction, scheduled to take place on February 11.

Karachi Kings retained Hasan Ali, and Abbas Afridi are retained in the Platinum and Diamond categories, respectively.

All-rounder Khushdil Shah is retained in Gold, while Saad Baig is in the Emerging category.

Kings are prepared for the next phase 🤴🏽

Karachi Kings have locked in their retained players for HBL PSL 2026, ahead of the Player’s Auction#HBLPSL | #NewEra pic.twitter.com/IYgHAxeXyJ

— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 4, 2026

The retention prices were confirmed through PSL’s official social media accounts, with Hasan being retained for PKR 47.6 million.

Afridi will earn PKR 30.8 million, while Khushdil has been secured for PKR 33.6 million. Saad, who was retained in the emerging category, will get PKR 6 million.

For the unversed, each franchise has been allotted a total budget of PKR 450 million for PSL 11, while an additional PKR 55 million has been reserved for direct signings under the league’s new auction-based model.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Notably, PSL 11 marks a major shift in the league’s player recruitment process as the traditional draft system has been replaced by an auction format for the first time in PSL history.

On Tuesday, five out of the six old franchises announced their list of retained players, while Multan Sultans confirmed they will enter the auction with zero retentions, giving them the maximum purse ahead of the bidding process.

PSL 11 retentions

Lahore Qalandars: Shaheen Shah Afridi (Platinum), Abdullah Shafique (Diamond), Sikandar Raza (Gold), Mohammad Naeem (Silver)

Quetta Gladiators: Abrar Ahmed (Platinum), Usman Tariq (Diamond), Hasan Nawaz (Gold), Shamyl Hussain (Emerging)

Islamabad United: Shadab Khan (Platinum), Salman Irshad (Gold), Andries Gous (Silver)

Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (Platinum), Sufyan Moqim (Diamond), Abdul Samad (Gold), Ali Raza (Emerging)

Karachi Kings: Hasan Ali (Platinum), Mohammad Abbas Afridi (Diamond), Khushdil Shah (Gold), Saad Baig (Emerging)

READ: Islamabad United reveal retention prices of three players

Three-time champions Islamabad United on Wednesday announced the retention prices of their three retained players ahead of the historic Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 players’ auction, scheduled to take place on February 11.

The franchise shared the details through its official social media platforms, confirming the amounts allocated to skipper Shadab Khan, pacer Salman Irshad and USA batter Andries Gous.

According to the announcement, star all-rounder Shadab has been retained in the Platinum category for a fee of PKR 70 million, while fast bowler Salman Irshad, who has been kept in the Gold category, will earn PKR 12 million.

Meanwhile, USA wicket-keeper Andries Gous has been secured in the Silver category for PKR 14 million.

🚨 Here you go!!

First Auction – Here are the retention amounts in PKR@76Shadabkhan – 7.0 Crore@Gousie08 – 1.4 Crore@Salman150kph – 1.2 Crore

Stay Tuned For More Big News!! 🙌#UnitedWeWin #SherusRetained #DimaghSe #NewEra pic.twitter.com/7CqhW9AQ1T

— Islamabad United (@IsbUnited) February 4, 2026

With these retentions, Islamabad United have so far spent PKR 96 million from the overall franchise budget ahead of the auction.

For the unversed, each franchise has been allotted a total budget of PKR 450 million for PSL 11, while an additional PKR 55 million has been reserved for direct signings under the league’s new auction-based model.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Notably, PSL 11 marks a major shift in the league’s player recruitment process as the traditional draft system has been replaced by an auction format for the first time in PSL history.

On Tuesday, five out of the six old franchises announced their list of retained players, while Multan Sultans confirmed they will enter the auction with zero retentions, giving them the maximum purse ahead of the bidding process.

PSL 11 retentions

Lahore Qalandars: Shaheen Shah Afridi (Platinum), Abdullah Shafique (Diamond), Sikandar Raza (Gold), Mohammad Naeem (Silver)

Quetta Gladiators: Abrar Ahmed (Platinum), Usman Tariq (Diamond), Hasan Nawaz (Gold), Shamyl Hussain (Emerging)

Islamabad United: Shadab Khan (Platinum), Salman Irshad (Gold), Andries Gous (Silver)

Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (Platinum), Sufyan Moqim (Diamond), Abdul Samad (Gold), Ali Raza (Emerging)

Karachi Kings: Hasan Ali (Platinum), Mohammad Abbas Afridi (Diamond), Khushdil Shah (Gold), Saad Baig (Emerging)

READ: Barcelona edge past Albacete into Copa del Rey semi-finals

LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has recorded another major commercial milestone ahead of season 11 after successfully selling its international media rights, with the India region deliberately excluded from the deal.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that the one-year agreement for global media rights, excluding India, has been awarded to Walee Technologies, which emerged as the highest bidder and surpassed the PCB’s reserve price.

The PCB further revealed that, on a comparable basis, the latest agreement reflects a 149 percent increase in value over the previous cycle, underlining the league’s growing global footprint and strengthening brand value.

PSL Chief Executive Officer Salman Naseer welcomed the outcome and termed it a strong validation of the league’s commercial growth.

“We are extremely pleased with the outcome of the International Media Rights sale, which has delivered a remarkable 149% increase over the last cycle for the same regions,” Naseer said.

“This growth is a strong validation of the HBL PSL brand, its competitive quality, and its increasing appeal to cricket fans around the world.”

He added that the league continues to attract strong interest internationally and remains on an upward commercial trajectory.

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“The HBL PSL continues to attract strong global interest, and this agreement reinforces our confidence in the league’s long-term commercial trajectory and its ability to deliver value across diverse international markets,” he said.

Naseer also acknowledged Walee Technologies for pushing beyond past benchmarks.

“We are grateful to Walee Technologies for stepping up the ante in the New Era and breaking past records,” he added.

Meanwhile, Walee Technologies CEO Ahsan Tahir expressed excitement over partnering with the marquee league, calling it a major moment for local innovation.

“This is a victory for every Pakistani who believes in ‘Made in Pakistan’ technology,” Tahir said.

“This is just the start of our HBL PSL journey. We have a lot of plans, and we’d like everyone to eagerly await everything Walee is about to do.”

Notably, the PCB’s decision to withhold PSL media rights for the India region comes amid strained relations between the two countries, with Pakistan recently announcing its decision to boycott the India clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

READ: Multan Sultans to go into PSL 11 auction with zero retentions

Multan Sultans have decided not to retain a single player from their previous squad ahead of the historic Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 players auction, scheduled to take place on February 11.

The upcoming edition of the PSL will mark a major shift in the league’s player recruitment system, as the traditional draft format has been replaced with an auction-based model for the first time in tournament history.

In the first 10 seasons, franchises were allowed to retain up to eight players before the draft.

However, under the revised PSL 11 regulations, teams were permitted to retain a maximum of four players across different categories, forcing franchises into tough calls ahead of the auction.

Multan had 18 players placed across various categories for the auction pool. Their captain, Mohammad Rizwan, was listed in the Platinum category, while Usama Mir, Iftikhar Ahmed and Usman Khan were placed in the Diamond category.

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The Gold category included Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Faisal Akram, Akif Javed and Tayyab Tahir.

Meanwhile, Yasir Khan, Amir Barki, Mohammad Junaid, Humayun Altaf, Ali Imran, Jahanzaib Sultan and Ubaid Shah were slotted into the Silver category, with Shahid Aziz and Mohammad Zulfikar listed under the Emerging category.

Despite having key players available for retention, the franchise confirmed through its official account on the social media platform X that it will enter the auction with zero retentions.

“Multan Sultans will enter the PSL Players Auction with zero retentions and a full USD 1.6 million in the purse,” the franchise wrote.

It is pertinent to mention that the Multan franchise is currently without an owner, and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is expected to conduct an auction for the franchise’s ownership rights, although the date for the bidding process has not yet been announced.

READ: Arsenal sink Chelsea to reach League Cup final

Jacob Bethell underlined his importance to England’s T20 World Cup hopes as he spun them to a hard-fought 12-run win over Sri Lanka to complete a 3-0 clean sweep at Pallekele on Tuesday.

The series served as a dress rehearsal for the 20-nation showpiece that Sri Lanka is co-hosting with India.

The contest hung in the balance heading into the 18th over with Sri Lanka needing 21 runs off 18 balls with four wickets in hand, but the part-time spin of Bethel turned the game.

The left-armer snared three wickets in a dramatic over to flip the game on its head as the hosts were skittled for 116 with three balls to spare. Bethel finished with career-best figures of four for 11.

“It was one of the most fun games I have been part of,” said England captain Harry Brook.

“We showed we can adapt to challenging conditions. Today we bowled 16 overs of spin and to do that against a Sri Lankan side in their own conditions is really satisfying.”

England had mustered only 128 for nine but showcased their depth and nous, defending a total that looked well below par on a surface offering turn and bounce.

After just four overs from the quicks, the spinners took centre stage and wove a web around the Sri Lankan batters, much as they had throughout the tour.

The spinners had been pivotal in England’s ODI series triumph in Colombo last week and again proved the ace up their sleeve.

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England head to India to launch their World Cup campaign with momentum at their backs, while Sri Lanka have plenty of soul-searching to do with their frailties against spin brutally exposed.

Bethel found able allies in Will Jacks, who bagged three wickets, while fellow tweakers Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson chipped in with one apiece to keep the hosts on a tight leash.

Sam Curran, England’s hero in the opening game with a hat-trick, showed his all-round pedigree in the dead rubber, carving out a career-best 58 from 48 balls to rescue the side that had slipped to 60 for six.

Returning quick Dushmantha Chameera, back after a groin injury, was a rare bright spark for Sri Lanka, claiming his maiden five-wicket haul in T20Is. His five for 24 are the best figures in England-Sri Lanka contests and the third-best ever at Pallekele.

“Very disappointing. We need to address a few areas, especially the options we take against spin bowling,” said Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka.

“I thought we had addressed that issue in the last game but the old problems resurfaced again.”

Both sides begin their World Cup campaign next Sunday, with Sri Lanka hosting Ireland in Colombo, while England face Nepal in Mumbai.

READ: PSL 11: Haris, Fakhar released as Lahore Qalandars announce retentions

The defending champions of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Lahore Qalandars have released Haris Rauf and Fakhar Zaman ahead of the historic auction, which will be held on February 11.

The franchise revealed the retained players in an animated poster on social media.

Among the retained players are skipper Shaheen Afridi (Platinum), middle-order batter Abdullah Shafiqe (Diamond), all-rounder Sikandar Raza (Gold), and Mohammad Naeem (Silver).

 

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A post shared by Lahore Qalandars (@lahoreqalandars)

With the limitation to retain one player from each of the four categories, the Qalandars have let go of their ace duo of Zaman and Rauf, who were placed in the Platinum category alongside Shaheen Shah Afridi.

It is worth noting that PSL is set to move to an auction format, marking a shift from the traditional draft system that has been in place since its adoption.

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Under the new structure, each franchise is allowed to retain up to four players, with one player per category.

Moreover, this time around, teams could not retain up to eight players, along with additional provisions such as mentors, brand ambassadors, and the Right to Match (RTM) option.

The PCB has also abolished the mentor, brand ambassador, and RTM clauses altogether, streamlining the squad-building process ahead of the auction.

For the unversed, the PSL 11 will get underway on March 26, 2026, and will mark Faisalabad’s first-ever stint as a host city. The venue will join Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi, expanding the league to five host cities.

READ: England defeat Australia to reach U19 World Cup final

BULAWAYO: Skipper Thomas Rew led from the front with a sublime century, ably backed by the bowlers, to power England to a 27-run victory over Australia in the first semi-final of the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2026 here at the Queens Sports Club.

Set stiff 278, Australia fell short and were bowled out for 250 in 47.3 overs despite their skipper Olivier Peake’s spirited batting effort.

Notably, this is the first time since 1998 that England U19 have qualified for the final.

Will Malajczuk and Nitesh Samuel added 32 for the opening wicket in 5.4 overs. Malajczuk was trapped lbw after scoring 15 from 12 balls.

The next wicket also fell in quick succession as Steven Hogan was caught after managing just three from 23 balls.

As a result, Australia were under pressure early in their innings with 47-2 in 12.3 overs.

But Oliver Peake and Nitesh Samuel launched a recovery with a 62-run partnership and put the chase back on track.

The scorecard read 109 in 24.3 overs when Ralphie Albert provided the much-needed breakthrough in the form of Samuel’s wicket. He was out stumped after scoring 47 from 83 balls with the aid of a six and three fours.

The wicket brought England back into the mix as Australia lost two more wickets in quick succession. Consequently, they were reduced to 134-5 in 31.4 overs with Peake standing firm at one end.

He stitched a vital 46-run stand with Aryan Sharma for the sixth wicket partnership that revived their chase.

But Aryan’s brisk knock was ended on the fourth ball of the 37th over as England sniffed an opening. He made 34 from 23 with the aid of six fours.

England chipped in with a couple of more wickets, and Australia were left tottering for 207-8 in 42.1 overs.

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Australia’s hopes were all on Peak, who was standing firm and with his side requiring an uphill task to climb — 54 required from 30 balls, he did something magical to put his team back in the game.

In the 46th over of the game, Peak took on Lumsden for a six and four consecutive boundaries to bring down the equation to 32 from 24 balls.

However, he ran out of partners at the other end despite reaching his century, and eventually was caught at covers as the Three Lions sealed a memorable win.

The left-hander top-scored for his side with 100 off 88 balls, including a six and 10 fours.

For England, Sebastian Morgan and James Minto remained the standout bowlers with two wickets to their name.

Earlier, after opting to bat first, England racked up 277-7 in 50 overs.

England were put in early trouble at 60-3 in 14 overs when their captain Thomas Rew was joined by Caleb Falconer. The pair forged a 135-run partnership that laid a foundation for a strong total.

The stand eventually culminated in the 35th over with Calob Falconer’s wicket. The all-rounder made 40 off 53 with the aid of four boundaries.

Despite his wicket, Rew continued on and went on to score a century. His knock ended in the 42nd over. He managed 110 from 107 balls, peppered with 14 fours and a six.

In Australia, Hayden Schiller and Naden Cooray took a brace. Meanwhile, Aryan Sharma and Hayden Schiller took one wicket each.

READ: Quetta Gladiators retentions revealed for PSL 11

Peshawar Zalmi has retained ace batter Babar Azam for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11, the franchise confirmed on Tuesday.

Zalmi shared the much-anticipated retention update in a social media post with an animated poster.

“Locked in and confirmed. Here’s the Yellow Storm shaping up for #HBLPSL11,” the caption of the post read.

Babar Azam (Platinum) has been retained, whereas the ace batter Saim Ayub was released as per the new framework of the auction system.

Saim Ayub joined the outfit in the 2022 season and played 33 matches, amassing 860 runs at a strike rate of 152.48.

 

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A post shared by Peshawar Zalmi (@peshawarzalmipk)

Besides Babar, Sufiyan Muqeem (Diamond), Abdul Samad (Gold), and Ali Raza (Emerging) also secured their spots in the team ahead of the auction.

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It is worth noting that PSL is set to move to an auction model, marking a shift from the traditional draft system.

Under the new structure, each franchise is allowed to retain up to four players, with one player per category.

Moreover, this time around, teams could not retain up to eight players, along with additional provisions such as mentors, brand ambassadors, and the Right to Match (RTM) option.

The PCB has also abolished the mentor, brand ambassador, and RTM clauses altogether, streamlining the squad-building process ahead of the auction.

For the unversed, the PSL 11 will get underway on March 26, 2026, and will mark Faisalabad’s first-ever stint as a host city. The venue will join Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi, expanding the league to five host cities.

READ: Quetta Gladiators retentions revealed for PSL 11

Quetta Gladiators have announced their retentions for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11, which begins on 26 March.

The outfit announced the retentions on their social media handles.

Among those retained are Abrar Ahmed (platinum), Usman Tariq (Diamond), Hassan Nawaz (Gold), and Shamyl Hussain in the emerging category.

“Retained. Reloaded. Ready,” Quetta Gladiators social handle wrote in an animated reel.

The winners of the 2019 edition had earlier revealed their category renewals, which included Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Amir, and Abrar Ahmed in the Platinum category.

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The emerging category included Mohammad Zeeshan and Shamyl Hussain. While Khurram Shahzad, Haseebullah Khan, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Hassan Nawaz, and Danish Aziz were named in the Gold category.

The diamond category included Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Wasim Jr and Usman Tariq.

It is worth noting that PSL is set to move to an auction format, marking a shift from the traditional draft system.

Under the new structure, each franchise is allowed to retain up to four players, with one player per category.

Moreover, this time around, teams could not retain up to eight players, along with additional provisions such as mentors, brand ambassadors, and the Right to Match (RTM) option.

The PCB has also abolished the mentor, brand ambassador, and RTM clauses altogether, streamlining the squad-building process ahead of the auction.

For the unversed, the PSL 11 will get underway on March 26, 2026, and will mark Faisalabad’s first-ever stint as a host city. The venue will join Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi, expanding the league to five host cities.

READ: Islamabad United retentions revealed ahead of PSL 11