The six HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises on Sunday finalised their squads in their quest to lift the glittering trophy of the seventh edition of the tournament beginning next month.

Defending champions Multan Sultans picked Australia’s Tim David, who was previously with Lahore Qalandars, in the platinum category, while their other notable selections were the West Indian duo of Odean Smith and Rovman Powell, and Pakistanis Anwar Ali, Imran Khan Sr and Rumman Raees.

These players will join Imran Tahir, Mohammad Rizwan, Khushdil Shah, Rilee Rossouw, Shan Masood, Shahnawaz Dahani and Sohaib Maqsood who were retained earlier in the week for PSL 2022, according to a statement issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after the draft held at the High Performance Centre in Lahore.

The upcoming season will see England all-rounder Chris Jordan return to Karachi Kings in the platinum category after missing the 2021 tournament. The side also opted for England’s Lewis Gregory and Tom Abell, as well as Pakistan U-19 captain Qasim Akram.

They will join Babar Azam, Aamir Yamin, Imad Wasim, Joe Clarke, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Nabi and Sharjeel Khan who were retained by the Kings on Friday.

Lahore Qalandars included Pakistan’s flamboyant batter Fakhar Zaman in the platinum category for the sixth consecutive year, while also picking Abdullah Shafique and Kamran Ghulam (both Pakistan) and England’s Harry Brook and Phil Salt. They will be in greens alongside Ahmed Daniyal, David Wiese, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hafeez, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sohail Akhtar and Zeeshan Ashraf — who were all retained by the franchise.

Islamabad United kept faith in Colin Munro of New Zealand in the platinum category and also picked Danish Aziz, Marchant de Lange, Reece Topley and Zafar Gohar. They will join Asif Ali, Alex Hales, Azam Khan, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Paul Stirling and Shadab Khan.

Explosive Afghanistan opener Hazratullah Zazai and swashbuckling England opener Jason Roy were picked by Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators, respectively.

2017 champions Zalmi also picked fast bowler Arshad Iqbal, wicketkeeper/batter Kamran Akmal and wrist-spinner Usman Qadir, while 2019 winners Gladiators also scooped Afghanistan fast bowler Naveenul Haq, Pakistan U-19 batter Abdul Wahid Bangalzai and seasoned white-ball players Sohail Tanvir and Umar Akmal.

Final squads (in alphabetical order)

Islamabad United (Sunday’s picks):

Colin Munro (New Zealand, Platinum); Marchant de Lange (South Africa, Diamond); Danish Aziz, Muhammad Akhlaq (both Pakistan), Reece Topley (England), Zafar Gohar (Pakistan) (all Silver); Mubasir Khan, Zeeshan Zameer (Emerging); Athar Mehmood (Pakistan) and Rehmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan) (both Supplementary).

Final squad: Asif Ali, Colin Munro, Hasan Ali (all Platinum); Faheem Ashraf, Marchant De Lange, Shadab Khan (Brand Ambassador), Alex Hales (Mentor), Azam Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jr (all Gold); Danish Aziz, Mohammad Akhlaq, Paul Stirling, Reece Topley, Zafar Gohar (all Silver); Mubasir Khan, Zeeshan Zameer (both Emerging); Rehmanullah Gurbaz and Ather Mehmood (both Supplementary)

Karachi Kings (Sunday’s picks):

Chris Jordan (England, Platinum); Lewis Gregory (England, Diamond); Mohammad Imran, Rohail Nazir (both Pakistan), Tom Abell (England), Umaid Asif (Pakistan) (all Silver); Faisal Akram, Qasim Akram (both Emerging); Romario Shepherd (West Indies) and Talha Ahsan (both Supplementary).

Final squad: Babar Azam, Chris Jordan, Imad Wasim (all Platinum); Mohammad Amir, Lewis Gregory, Mohammad Nabi (all Diamond); Joe Clarke (Brand Ambassador), Aamir Yamin, Sharjeel Khan (all Gold); Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Imran, Rohail Nazir, Tom Abell, Umaid Asif (all Silver); Faisal Akram, Qasim Akram (Emerging); Romario Shepherd and Talha Ahsan (both Supplementary).

Lahore Qalandars (Sunday’s picks):

Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan, Platinum); Abdullah Shafique (Pakistan), Harry Brook, Phil Salt (both England) (all Gold); Dean Foxcroft (South Africa), Kamran Ghulam (Pakistan) (both Silver); Maaz Khan, Zaman Khan (both Emerging); Samit Patel (England) and Syed Faridoun Mehmood (Pakistan) (Supplementary).

Final squad: Fakhar Zaman, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi (all Platinum); Haris Rauf (Diamond, Brand Ambassador); David Wiese, Mohammad Hafeez (both Diamond); Abdullah Shafique, Harry Brook, Phil Salt (all Gold); Ahmed Daniyal, Dean Foxcroft, Sohail Akhtar, Kamran Ghulam, Zeeshan Ashraf (all Silver); Maaz Khan, Zaman Khan (both Emerging); Samit Patel and Syed Faridoun Mehmood (Supplementary).

Multan Sultans (Sunday’s picks):

Tim David (Australia, Platinum); Odean Smith (West Indies, Diamond); Asif Afridi, Anwar Ali, Imran Khan Sr, Rumman Raees (all Pakistan), Rovman Powell (West Indies) (all Silver); Aamer Azmat, Abbas Afridi (both Emerging); Blessing Muzarabani (Zimbabwe) and Ihsanullah (Pakistan) (Supplementary).

Final squad: Tim David, Mohammad Rizwan, Rilee Rossouw (all Platinum); Imran Tahir (Mentor), Odean Smith (both Diamond); Sohaib Maqsood (Diamond); Khushdil Shah (Brand Ambassador), Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood (all Gold); Anwar Ali, Asif Afridi, Imran Khan Sr, Rumman Raees Rovman Powell (all Silver); Aamer Azmat, Abbas Afridi (both Emerging); Blessing Muzarabani and Ihsanullah (Supplementary).

Peshawar Zalmi (Sunday’s picks):

Hazratullah Zazai (Afghanistan, Platinum); Usman Qadir (Pakistan, Gold); Arshad Iqbal, Kamran Akmal, Salman Irshad, Sameen Gul (all Pakistan) (all Silver); Sirajuddin, Mohammad Aamer (Emerging); Ben Cutting (Australia) and Mohammad Haris (Pakistan) (both Supplementary).

Final squad: Hazratulah Zazai, Liam Livingstone, Wahab Riaz (all Platinum); Haider Ali, Sherfane Rutherford, Shoaib Malik (all Diamond); Hussain Talat (Gold); Saqib Mahmood (Gold, Brand Ambassador); Usman Qadir (Gold); Arshad Iqbal, Kamran Akmal (Mentor), Salman Irshad, Sameen Gul, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (all Silver); Mohammad Aamer, Sirajuddin (Emerging); Ben Cutting and Mohammad Haris (both Supplementary).

Quetta Gladiators (Sunday’s picks):

Jason Roy (England, Platinum); James Faulkner (Australia, Diamond); Ben Duckett (England), Khurram Shehzad (Pakistan), Naveenul Haq (Afghanistan), Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal (both Pakistan) (Silver); Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Ashar Qureshi (Emerging); Ahsan Ali (Pakistan) and Noor Ahmed (Pakistan) (Supplementary).

Final squad: James Vince, Jason Roy, Sarfaraz Ahmed (all Platinum); Iftikhar Ahmed, James Faulkner, Mohammad Nawaz (all Diamond); Shahid Afridi (Mentor), Mohammad Hasnain (Brand Ambassador), Naseem Shah (all Gold); Ben Duckett, Khurram Shehzad, Naveenul Haq, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal (all Silver); Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Ashar Qureshi (Emerging); Ahsan Ali and Noor Ahmed (Supplementary).

Kamran Akmal unhappy

Hours after the draft was completed, Kamran Akmal, who was included by Peshawar Zalmi in the silver category, shared his unhappiness over the decision.

"Last 6 seasons it was a great journey," he tweeted, thanking the Zalmi leadership for their support.

"I think I don’t deserve to play in this category … Thank you once again ... @PeshawarZalmi Best of luck," he added.

In a video on his Youtube channel, Kamran said he was withdrawing from PSL 2022 and advised Zalmi to find his replacement in the silver category.