Bangladesh’s ace all-rounder Sakib al Hasan will join with his national team-mates Tamim Iqbal and Mustafizur Rahman in the inaugural Pakistan Super League as the trio was picked by different franchises through a draft on Monday.
Sakib was picked by Karachi Kings, one of the five franchises of the tournament while Tamim will join Peshwar Zalmi and Mustafiz is lined up with Chris Gayle in Lahore Qualandars.
A total of 310 players, including 138 from Pakistan, are open to be drafted with 29 slotted in the Platinum category, 39 in Diamond, 60 in Gold, 123 in Silver, and 59 in Emerging.
On the first day of the draft a total of 45 players – nine for each of the franchise was picked from Platinum, Diamond and Gold categories.
The draft will continue today when each team will choose five players from the Silver category, and two from the Emerging category.
Sakib, who was in the Platinum category, will earn $140,000 while Gold category cricketers Tamim and Mustafiz, who was recently included in the ICC’s ODI team of the year, will earn $50,000 each.
This is for the first time more than two Bangladeshi players will play in a franchise-based twenty20 tournament outside their country and the number may increase today if either of Mahmudullah, Anamul Haque, Mominul Haque and Imrul Kayes, who belong to the silver category, is picked.
However, Soumya Sarkar and Mushfiqur Rahim, who were in the Gold category, saw their hopes evaporated as the draft for this category has already been completed.
They were not picked despite their brilliant performance against Pakistan in the three-match one-day international series at home early in the year when the Tigers made a clean-sweep victory.
Mushfiq and Soumya both scored heavily against Pakistan and the latter kept his rich vein of international form going against India and South Africa before both of them lost their form in the recently concluded Bangladesh Premier League that may have taken toll on them.
Most of the BPL stars, including Gayle, who left the tournament before the vital eliminator, will feature in the tournament along with the English batsman Kevin Pietersen and Australian Shane Watson to shine the first such tournament arranged by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
The first edition of the PSL will be held in February 4-23 in United Arab Emirates.
Sharjah and Dubai will host the PSL matches, designed along the lines of lucrative leagues in India, Bangladesh and Australia.
Source: New Age
