The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially released the list of 49 local players designated in the Gold category for the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) season nine's draft. Among the notable inclusions are Aamer Yamin, Ahmed Shehzad, Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, and Arshad Iqbal.
The Gold category also features Bilal Asif, Bilawal Bhatti, Haider Ali, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Sohaib Maqsood, Shahnawaz Dahani, and Umar Akmal.
The PSL 9 Draft is scheduled to take place at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore on Wednesday, December 13, 2023. The tournament is tentatively set to run from February 8 to March 24, 2024.
In a recent development, PCB has chosen Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi as the host cities for PSL 9. However, concerns have been raised about the cold weather and possible fog affecting teams in Lahore. Peshawar Zalmi is advocating for Peshawar to be added as a venue, promising completion of stadium work within two months.
Franchises are also expressing reservations about the proposed final in Karachi on March 19, fearing reduced crowd attendance. Multan Sultans have suggested an alternative, offering to host the final at the Multan Cricket Stadium, expressing confidence in attracting a substantial audience.
The PCB plans to unveil the official schedule on the day of the PSL 9 draft. The recently released list of retained players by all franchises revealed significant changes, with Islamabad trading their first pick in Platinum to Quetta, who later engaged in a swap deal with Multan.
Iftikhar Ahmed, part of the trade, moved to Multan, and they now hold the first pick in both the Platinum and Silver rounds. The league promises exciting developments as it approaches its ninth season.