LAHORE: Defending Champions Lahore Qalandars will make the first pick in the HBL Pakistan Super League 2023 Player Draft. The Pick Order was decided through a random draw on Monday at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) offices and participated by representatives of the six franchises.
The winners of the 2019 edition, Quetta Gladiators, and 2021 championships, Multan Sultans, will have second and third picks. The fourth and fifth picks will be done by 2020 winners Karachi Kings and two-time champions (2016 and 2018) Islamabad United.
Peshawar Zalmi, who won the first final of the HBL PSL to be played in Pakistan in 2017, will make the sixth pick. The next 17 rounds were decided through a special statistical tool. Usman Wahla, PSL 8 Tournament Director said on Monday : “We have set small milestones for our flagship event and Pick Order for HBL PSL 2023 was one of the targets.
This has set the tone for this year’s Player Draft as the teams will now have absolute clarity on their turn and how they will make best use of their chances to pick players for one of the most grueling and fiercely-contested leagues.
“Player Registration window for foreign players is also open and we are receiving encouraging responses, which is a testament to the reputation of the HBL PSL and how much the top players want to be part of it.
“Next year’s event will be staged at four venues – Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan – and we are working extremely hard to not only deliver this event according to its stature and reputation, but also introduce a few initiatives to make the event more spectator-friendly.” The details about the HBL PSL 2023 Player Draft will be announced in due course.