As anticipation builds for the HBL Pakistan Super League 2024, the stage is set with the finalization of the Player Draft Pick Order. Quetta Gladiators will take the lead, making the inaugural selection in the draft. Following closely, Karachi Kings and two-time champions Islamabad United will secure the second and third picks, respectively.
Peshawar Zalmi and last season’s runners-up Multan Sultans will claim the fourth and fifth picks, while the winners of the last two editions, Lahore Qalandars, will round out the first round with the sixth pick.
In an effort to ensure fairness, the selection order for the Platinum category determined by the inverse order of the previous season’s standings. Each category’s first pick will made by a different franchise to enhance equity. Quetta Gladiators will lead the Platinum picks, Karachi Kings will initiate the first Diamond pick, Peshawar Zalmi will start the Gold picks, and Multan Sultans will be the first to choose in the Silver category. Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars will make the first Emerging and Supplementary picks, respectively.
Foreign player registration is underway, with the Pakistan Cricket Board opening the window for potential participants. The flagship event is tentatively schedule to unfold from February 8 to March 24, 2024.
Franchisees are now in the process of submitting relegation requests for players before finalizing retentions. Teams have the opportunity to match a player’s base category after relegation requests floated. Failure to match the base category may result in the player being relegate to a category below.
The highly-anticipated HBL PSL 9 Draft is tentatively schedule for mid-December, immediately following the conclusion of the National T20. Cricket enthusiasts can look forward to an exciting draft as teams strategize to build formidable squads for the upcoming season.
