Sangakkara, Gayle join Karachi Kings for PSL 2017

Karachi: Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara has joined PSL team Karachi Kings as a player and mentor, ahead of the second edition of the Pakistan Super League.

The management of Karachi Kings have also announced to retain Shoaib Malik, Ravi Boppara, Imad Wasim, Sohail Khan, Mohammad Aamir, Shahzeb Hassan and Saifullah Bangash from the previous edition’s squad.

Sangakkara was part of Quetta Gladiators’ squad last year, but was released by the Quetta franchise for the second edition and Karachi Kings didn’t wait to pick him as a player and mentor for the next season.

However, a source in PSL told Geo.Tv that Karachi Kings will have to use one of its draft picks to formally include Kumar Sangakkara’s services as the “player” in the next edition.

The same practice will be followed by Lahore Qalandars, who have already named New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum as team’s mentor cum captain.

Flamboyant batsman Babar Azam and dashing batsman Chris Gayle are other new faces to join the Karachi Kings squad from pre-draft trades.

“We have traded Chris Gayle from Lahore, releasing Sohail Tanvir while Babar Azam has moved to Karachi Kings from Islamabad United,” said an official of the franchise Karachi Kings.

The most expensive team of the PSL, Karachi Kings, have also announced to include Azhar Mahmood as coach, while retaining Micky Arthur as team’s head coach.

Former captain Rashid Latif has already been named as Karachi’s team director.

Meanwhile, the PSL management has released a list of over 430 players, including 229 foreigners, ahead of the players draft for PSL 2 which will be held on October 19.

England hold the largest contingent for the 229 foreign players for the second edition, with 70 players making themselves available to the list.

52 from West Indies, 27 from Sri Lanka, 15 from Australia, 15 also from South Africa, 10 from Bangladesh, 9 from Afghanistan, 7 from New Zealand and 24 from other Cricketing countries are included in the draft list of players for the PSL 2.

Former captain Salman Butt and fast bowler, both making a comeback after serving a five year ban for spot fixing in England, are also included in the draft players’ list.

Salman has been included in Gold category while Mohammad Asif has been drafted into Silver category.

Former captain Younis Khan, who missed the previous edition of PSL, has been included in draft for the platinum category.

The other notable players in the platinum category are Shane Watson, Shakib Al Hassan, Alex Hales, Eoin Morgan, Jason Roy, Kevin Pietersen, Stuart Broad, Brendon McCullum, Kumar Sangakkara, Lasith Malinga, Mahela Jayawerdene, Andre Russell, Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Kieron Pollard, Marlon Samuels and Sunil Narine.

Pakistanis in the platinum category are Ahmed Shahzad, Misbah ul Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Wahab Riaz and Younis Khan.

Foreign players in Diamond category include Benjiman Hilfenhaus, Brad Haddin, Adil Rashid, Chris Jordan, Jake Ball, James Andersen, Luke Wright, Moeen Ali, Ravi Bopara, Steven Finn, Grant Elliot, James Franklin, Nathan MacCullum, Albie Morkel, David Wiese, Robin Peterson, Wayne Parnell, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thisara Perera, T Dilshan, Carlos Brathwaite Jason Holder, Lendl Simmons and Samuel Badree.

Local players in the diamond category are Anwar Ali, Yasir Shah, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Aamir, Sharjeel Khan and Sohail Tanvir.

Seventy-four players are drafted for Gold category, which includes 55 foreigners while of 255 players in silver category 125 are foreigners.

PCB has also named 24 players for the Emerging players category in the players draft for the PSL2.

Although teams have made announcement over retaining players, but sources confirm that the teams still have the option to forgo retaining and opt for a draft-trade.