Peshawar Zalmi have confirmed the retention of star batter Babar Azam for Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11. The franchise shared the update on Tuesday in the form of a social media post, featuring an animated poster. Over it was written the caption: “Locked in and confirmed.” Here’s the Yellow Shaping Up – Yellow Storm for #HBLPSL11.”
Babar Azam has been retained under Platinum category at Rs7 crore. However, Saim Ayub has been released under the new auction framework of the league.
Saim had been a part of Zalmi from the 2022 season. In his career with the franchise, he played 33 matches and scored 860 runs at a fantastic strike-rate of 152.48.
Apart from Babar, three other players have been retained ahead of the auction. Sufiyan Muqeem has been retained in Diamond category. Abdul Samad remains in the Gold category. Young talent Ali Raza has been retained under Emerging.
PSL Shifts to Auction Model
PSL is moving to an auction system for the first time, replacing the traditional draft format. Under the new structure, each franchise can retain only four players. Teams are allowed to keep one player per category.
Earlier, franchises could retain up to eight players. There were also additional options like mentors, brand ambassadors, and the Right to Match (RTM) clause.
This time, the Pakistan Cricket Board has removed all such provisions. The mentor and brand ambassador roles have been abolished. The RTM option is no longer available either. The new system is aimed at simplifying the squad-building process.
PSL 11 will begin on March 26, 2026. Faisalabad will host PSL matches for the first time in history. The city joins Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi as host venues.
Retention prices for Zalmi players are as follows: Babar Azam at Rs 7 crore, Sufiyan Muqeem at Rs 4.48 crore, Abdul Samad at Rs 2.8 crore, and Ali Raza at Rs 1.9 crore.
Also read: Will PCB sell PSL 11 broadcasting rights to India?
