Nawaz the only Pakistani picked in the Platinum category in the LPL 2026 Player Draft

Out of eight Pakistani players who were shortlisted in the Platinum category for the Lanka Premier League (LPL) Player Draft, all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz is the only player to make the cut. 

Nawaz gets picked in Platinum Category

The spin all-rounder was picked by Galle Gallants as their overseas pick in the Platinum category, with each team allowed to pick one such player.

Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Iftikhar Ahmed, Usman Khan, Sufiyan Muqeem, Shan Masood, and Abbas Afridi are among the unpicked players, though there are reports that Usman and Sufiyan had withdrawn from the league ahead of the draft.

Nawaz has only been a part of one LPL season so far, when he played for Colombo Strikers in 2023. The 32-year-old took one wicket across eight games and scored 106 runs.

Nawaz’s recreational drug use

Nawaz was supposed to play in the Vitality Blast for Surrey, having been granted a No Objection Certificate by the Pakistan Cricket Board for the entirety of the tournament. 

However, the contract was mutually terminated after the all-rounder tested positive for recreational drug use during the 2026 T20 World Cup. He was under investigation by the PCB following the drug test results, though details were not made public by the board.

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Mohammad Nawaz tested positive for recreational drug use during the T20 World Cup Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is investigating spin all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz after he tested positive for recreational drug use.

by mishaalmubarak April 23, 2026

With the LPL 2026 Player Draft nearly completed, Nawaz will have only one other Pakistani accompanying him in the Galle-based team, young pacer Akif Javed. Akif is currently representing Derbyshire in the Vitality Blast, where he has replaced fellow Pakistani bowler Sufiyan Muqeem.

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