The HBL Pakistan Super League Player Draft 2025 will take place at the Huzoori Bagh in Lahore Fort on Monday, 13 January 2025.
The drafts were originally planned to take place in Gwadar on January 12, but due to logistical issues, the event has been moved to Lahore.
The complete list of players registered in Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver and Emerging categories have already been revealed.
Some of the biggest names of world cricket such as Kane Williamson, Tim Southee, David Warner, Shakib Al Hasan, Alex Hales, Alex Carey and others are available for selection in the draft today.
All six franchises, Karachi Kings, Quetta Gladiators, Islamabad United, Lahore Qalandars, Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi have also revealed their retention list.
Apart from Williamson and Southee, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Finn Allen, Jimmy Neesham, Mark Chapman and Michael Bracewell are other Kiwi players, who will interest the six HBL PSL franchises on Monday.
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 will be up for grabs. 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.
Experienced Jason Holder will be a hot pick among five other West Indies players locked in the Platinum category. Bangladesh’s seasoned duo of Mustafizur Rehman and Shakib Al Hasan are also part of the overseas Platinum pool.
Chief Executive Officer PSL, Salman Naseer: “We are thrilled to announce a 44 strong and exciting contingent of overseas Platinum picks for the HBL PSL 2025 Player Draft and I’m sure all the six franchises will have their eyes on them as the Draft Day draws near.
“Combined with the Pakistani stars we have an exciting pool of talent available. All eyes are now on 13 January when the final squads for the six franchises will be determined.
“Irrespective of whatever happens on Monday, I’m deeply thankful to all the players who have registered their interest in any category in a bid to become part of the historic 10th edition of the HBL PSL and I wish them all Good luck.”
Moreover, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik are up for grabs for the first time in the draft since the inaugural tournament.
Sarfaraz, who has been a part of Quetta Gladiators since the league’s inception in 2016, was recently released by the team. This will be the first time he enters the player draft since the inaugural edition. Similarly, Shoaib Malik, who has represented Karachi Kings in four PSL seasons, will also join the draft for the first time. Other national players in the diamond category include Mohammad Nawaz, Aamir Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, and Mohammad Hasnain. The category also features a diverse mix of international players from countries such as Australia, Afghanistan, England, Bangladesh, South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, and others, offering a blend of emerging and experienced talent for teams to choose from.
In a significant development, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has revised the pick order and categories for the PSL 10 draft. The three Platinum categories have been consolidated into two, while the Diamond category has been reduced to a single tier. The Gold and Silver categories have also been trimmed, with Gold now having two tiers and Silver reduced to three tiers.
According to the revised pick order, Lahore Qalandars will have the first pick in the Platinum 1 category, followed by Karachi Kings, Quetta Gladiators, Peshawar Zalmi, Multan Sultans, and Islamabad United. In the Platinum 2 category, Quetta Gladiators will make the first pick, with Karachi Kings picking next.
The PCB also announced that the PSL 10 player draft will take place on January 13 at Huzuri Bagh in Lahore at 12:30 PM (PST). The event was initially planned for Gwadar, Balochistan, but logistical challenges led to its relocation. However, the PCB confirmed that Gwadar will play a key role in the PSL 2025 Trophy Tour, with the scenic city hosting one of the stops. As the PSL 10 draft approaches, anticipation builds for the new combinations and the return of iconic players like Sarfaraz and Malik to the draft pool.
