Multan Sultans sign Hetmyer 

(CRICINFO) Multan Sultans have picked the West Indies batter Shimron Hetmyer to replace Bangladesh batter Mahmudullah in the platinum category for the remainder of the PSL 2021, which begins in the first week of June in Abu Dhabi. Several players are set to miss the remaining 20 games of the season for multiple reasons, including logistical challenges. In order to allow teams to replace their absentees, the PCB carried out a mini replacement draft on Saturday.

Rashid Khan, meanwhile, will be back with the Lahore Qalandars. The franchise had signed the Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan in his place during last month’s replacement draft. Shakib has now pulled out of the remainder of the season, but Lahore have announced Rashid is available once again.

All six franchises were also allowed to pick two additional players in their original squads, with at least one overseas player, increasing squad sizes from 18 to 20. Teams originally had to feature at least three overseas players in their XIs, but given the growing challenges around the Covid-19 pandemic, the PCB has reduced the number to two for each team.

The draft is the third overall since the start of the season, which was suspended after 14 matches following a spate of Covid-19 cases among players and support staffers.

The Quetta Gladiators have picked the Afghanistan left-arm wristspinner Zahir Khan to replace the Australian allrounder Ben Cutting, while Lahore have chosen the Singaporean batter Tim David, who plays for the Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL, and boasts an overall T20 strike rate of 154.07, to replace the Australian batter Joe Burns.

Meanwhile, Hammad Azam, once talked of as a exciting all-round prospect for Pakistan, is back in the limelight, with Multan picking him as an additional option in the silver category. UAE’s Waseem Muhammad, who made his name with his blazing knocks for the Northern Warriors in the Abu Dhabi T10, has found a place in the Multan roster. His career highlight so far is an unbeaten 13-ball 56 in the T10, which helped the Warriors chase down 98 in just 4.3 overs against the Pune Devils. The Qalandars snapped up another UAE player in Sultan Ahmed, a left-arm spinner who originally hails from Pakistan.

During last month’s replacement draft, Islamabad United had picked Janneman Malan in place of Alex Hales. Now, with Malan also unavailable, Islamabad did not pick a replacement, citing a lack of equivalent options.

Islamabad, Lahore and the Karachi Kings haven’t yet picked a 20th player, but can do so if required.

Final squads 

Karachi Kings Imad Wasim (capt), Abbas Afridi, Aamer Yamin, Arshad Iqbal, Babar Azam, Chadwick Walton, Danish Aziz, Martin Guptill, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Haris, Thisara Perera, Najibullah Zadran, Noor Ahmad, Qasim Akram, Sharjeel Khan, Waqas Maqsood, Zeeshan Malik.

Lahore Qalandars Sohail Akhtar (capt), Ahmed Danyal, Ben Dunk, Callum Ferguson, Dilbar Hussain, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, James Faulkner, Maaz Khan, Mohammad Faizan, Mohammad Hafeez, Rashid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Seekkuge Prasana, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sultan Ahmed, Tim David, Zaid Alam and Zeeshan Ashraf.

Multan Sultans Mohammad Rizwan (capt), Hammad Azam, Imran Tahir, Imran Khan Snr, Johnson Charles, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Umar, Obed McCoy, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rilee Rossouw, Shahid Afridi, Shahnawaz Dhani, Shan Masood, Shimron Hetmyer (partially available), Sohaib Maqsood, Sohaibullah, Sohail Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Usman Qadir, Waseem Muhammad.

Islamabad United Shadab Khan (capt), Ahmed Saifi Abdullah, Ali Khan, Akif Javed, Asif Ali, Colin Munro, Fawad Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Akhlaq, Musa Khan, Rohail Nazir, Usman Khawaja, Zafar Gohar, Zeeshan Zameer.

Peshawar Zalmi Wahab Riaz (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Amad Butt, Bismillah Khan, David Miller (partially available), Fabian Allen (partially available), Fidel Edwards (partially available), Haider Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Amir Khan, Mohammad Irfan Snr, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Rovman Powell, Waqar Salamkheil, Sherfane Rutherford, Shoaib Malik, Umaid Asif.

Quetta Gladiators Sarfaraz Ahmed (capt), Abdul Nasir, Andre Russell (partially available), Anwar Ali, Arish Ali Khan, Azam Khan, Cameron Delport, Faf du Plessis, Hassan Khan, Jack Wildermuth, Jake Weatherald, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Usman Shinwari, Zahid Mahmood, Zahir Khan