STEVE SMITH has become the most expensive player in the history of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) after being signed for PKR 14 crore ahead of the revamped 11th edition of the tournament.
Smith, who is set to replace the injured Mitchell Marsh in Australia’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, was picked up by new franchise Sialkot Stallions. The PSL has expanded from six to eight teams, with the Pakistan Cricket Board introducing a players’ auction for the first time, replacing the long-standing draft system.
The auction, held in Lahore, featured several overseas players, including David Warner, Adam Zampa, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mustafizur Rahman, Devon Conway, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dasun Shanaka, Kusal Mendis, and Marnus Labuschagne.
In total, 103 players were signed by the eight franchises. Fast bowler Naseem Shah emerged as the most expensive Pakistani acquisition, joining Islamabad United for PKR 8.65 crore, while all-rounder Faheem Ashraf was also picked up by the franchise for PKR 8.5 crore.
Babar Azam was retained by Peshawar Zalmi for PKR 7 crore, while the highest-priced retention was Saim Ayub, who stayed with the franchise for PKR 12.2 crore.
The PSL is scheduled to run from 26 March to 3 May and will directly overlap with the Indian Premier League.
Two new franchises, Sialkot and Hyderabad, have been added after their rights were purchased by overseas Pakistani businessmen. Meanwhile, the Multan Sultans have been sold and rebranded as the Rawalpindi following a change in ownership.
