PSL 11 retentions: Zalmi retain Babar, let go Saim Ayub

With the deadline for submitting retentions for the upcoming PSL season set for today, the six existing franchises announced theirs through their respective social media handles. Under the new rules, each team was allowed to retain a maximum of one player per category. Zalmi nominated a total of fourteen players across the categories, and had to retain only four players. 

Babar over Saim in Platinum:

Having shortlisted Babar Azam and Saim Ayub in their platinum category, Zalmi decided to retain the former. This means Saim, who has played three seasons for Zalmi, will enter the player pool, from where he can be roped in by any franchise during the player auction on February 11. 

Zalmi would be glad their Diamond category retention was not as much of a head scratcher, since they only retained one player in that tier. Spinner Sufiyan Muqeem, who joined Peshawar in PSL 2023, was retained in what is PSL’s second-highest player category. 

For the Gold and Silver categories, Zalmi would have had to make some tough choices, as these categories featured players who had been with the franchise for many years. 

Zalmi let go Maaz, Haris

Gold category players, including Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Ali, Hussain Talat, Ahmed Daniyal, and Ihsanullah, Silver category players Arif Yaqoob and Mehran Mumtaz, and Abdullah Fazal and Maaz Sadaqat in the Emerging category were all released by the franchise. 

Zalmi chose to stick with top-order batter Abdul Samad (Gold) and pacer Ali Raza (Emerging) as their third and fourth retentions. 

Peshawar Zalmi retentions for PSL 11:

Platinum: Babar Azam
Diamond: Sufiyan Muqeem
Gold: Abdul Samad
Emerging: Ali Raza

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