PSL Player Draft 2025: Kane Williamson registers among 44 overseas Platinum players

LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League Player Draft 2025 was held, here at Huzoori Bagh, Lahore Fort on Monday.

Originally planned for Gwadar, the event was relocated to Lahore due to logistical issues. The six franchises assembled their star-studded squads during the draft ceremony.

In the Platinum category, Karachi Kings have picked David Warner, while Lahore Qalandars have selected Darrell Mitchell. Peshawar Zalmi secured Tom Kohler-Cadmore through the Right to Match in the Platinum category, while New Zealand's Mark Chapman was acquired by Quetta Gladiators. Michael Bracewell has joined Multan Sultans, New Zealand's Adam Milne has been selected by Karachi Kings and Finn Allen has joined Quetta Gladiators. Matthew Short has been picked by Islamabad United, while Faheem Ashraf by Quetta Gladiators and Abbas Afridi is now part of Karachi Kings.

In Diamond category, Karachi Kings has picked Khushdil Shah while Zalmi has selected Corbin Bosch and Mohammad Ali for upcoming PSL 2025. Islamabad United has chosen Jason Holder while Qalandars has picked Kausal Perera.

Earlier, PSL revealed the complete list of overseas players registered in the Platinum category for the draft. The pool includes 44 cricketers from eight countries.

Kane Williamson, the second leading run scorer for New Zealand in T20Is, has also registered in the Platinum category along with his long-time team mate and leading wicket-taker ever in T20Is, Tim Southee.

The most number of overseas Platinum category players – 13, are from Australia, including the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 winners Ashton Agar, David Warner and Daniel Sams. Usman Khawaja, who represented Islamabad United in HBL PSL 2021, is also part of this category. From Afghanistan, Mujeeb-ur-Rehman and Naveen-ul-Haq picked. HBL PSL 8 winner Sam Billings and HBL PSL 9 winner Tymal Mills also have registered their interest in the overseas Platinum category along with six other English players.

Imran Tahir, Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks and Tabraiz Shamsi make up the South Africa contingent in the top overseas category. Sri Lanka’s current T20I captain, Charith Asalanka and his team mate Kusal Mendis are also part of the best of the best overseas pool.

Olympic champion, Arshad Nadeem, made a special appearance at the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 draft ceremony. The star athlete had the honour of announcing Multan Sultans' Gold Category pick, selecting fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain for the upcoming season. Expressing his gratitude for the invitation, Arshad Nadeem shared his excitement about being part of the prestigious event. He remarked, "It’s a great feeling to be here. PSL is a massive event for Pakistan, and seeing our players shine on the global stage is always a proud moment."

The PSL draft attracted top cricketing and sports personalities, further building excitement for the upcoming season. Arshad’s presence at the event highlighted the growing synergy between different sports in Pakistan, with athletes from various disciplines coming together to celebrate the country's sporting excellence.

With the draft concluded, teams are now gearing up for another thrilling season of HBL-PSL-10, where cricket fans will see some of the finest talents in action. Multan Sultans, with the addition of Mohammad Hasnain, will look to strengthen their bowling attack in their quest for PSL glory.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025