PSL 8 | Karachi to host Pakistan Super League 8 draft on December 15

Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight draft will be held on December 15 in the provincial capital Karachi, with the date and location of the player draft decided with the consent of all franchises. The PSL 2023 will begin on February 9 and will run till March 19 in Lahore, Multan, Karachi, and Rawalpindi.

"The availability of all top players will make PSL 8 a good event," said PSL director Usman Wahla, as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.

A total of 493 players from full member and associate nations have made themselves available for the player draft, with 29 in the Platinum category and 81 in the Diamond. Each of the six franchises will have one Right to Match (RTM) Card that will allow them to pick any player released from their roster during the draft.

As revealed by the PCB, defending champions Lahore Qalandars will make the first pick during the draft. Quetta Gladiators and Multan Sultans will follow them respectively while the fourth and fifth picks will be made by Karachi Kings and Islamabad United. Meanwhile, Peshawar Zalmi will make the final pick. The next 17 rounds, however, were decided through a special statistical tool.

The maximum number of foreign players to register are from England (140), followed by Sri Lanka (60), Afghanistan (43), West Indies (38), Bangladesh (28), South Africa (25), Australia (14), Zimbabwe (11), and Ireland (nine).

Players who are in the Platinum category - Aaron Finch, Adil Rashid, Akeal Hosein, Alex Hales, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Colin De Grandhomme, Dasun Shanaka, David Miller, Dawid Malan, Evin Lewis, Jimmy Neesham, Lungi Ngidi, Martin Guptill, Moeen Ali, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb ur Rehman, Nicholas Pooran, Odean Smith, Rahkeem Cornwall, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rashid Khan, Rassie van der Dussen, Reece Topley, Saqib Mahmood, Shakib Al Hasan, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tom Curran, Tymal Mills, and Wanindu Hasaranga De Silva.