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Karachi pick Amir, Peshawar bag Afridi

By our correspondents
December 22, 2015

LAHORE: Fast bowler Mohammad Amir continued his reintegration into competitive cricket when he was selected by Karachi Kings for the Pakistan Super League.

Amir, who was one of 310 players open for the PSL draft, was picked by Karachi in the Gold category.

The draft on Monday saw Shahid Afridi (Peshawar Zalmi), Shoaib Malik (Karachi), Shane Watson (Islamabad United), Kevin Pietersen (Quetta Gladiators) and Chris Gayle (Lahore Qalandars) all bagged in the first round as Platinum players.

Younis Khan and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal remained unpicked. A total of 45 players were drafted among the five franchises.

The teams had to pick three players each from the Platinum, Diamond and Gold categories, with a minimum of four Pakistanis and four foreigners.

Bangladesh seamer Mustafizur Rahman, who was recently included in the ICC’s ODI team of the year, was taken by Lahore in the Gold category, while Tamim Iqbal was chosen in the same bracket by Peshawar.

All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, the other Bangladesh player to be drafted on the day, was picked in Platinum by Karachi.

Lahore were the only team to use up their full quota of foreign players, with Gayle, Mustafizur, Dwayne Bravo, Kevon Cooper and Cameron Delport all drafted during the day.

Besides Cooper and Delport, 33-year-old Somerset batsman, Jim Allenby was the only other uncapped player to be selected, by Peshawar in the Gold category.

The draft will continue on Tuesday, when each team will choose five players from the Silver category, and two from the Emerging category.

Franchises will also have the option to bolster their squad strength to 20 by picking four supplemental players.

The proceedings started off with the widely expected pick order trade between Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi. As a result of the trade, Peshawar made the first pick in the Platinum category and opted for Afridi.

Former Pakistan stars Wasim Akram, Mushtaq Ahmed, Ijaz Ahmed and Ramiz Raja were also present on the occasion.

Teams have to pick a minimum squad of 16 members. They may opt for up to 20 players. Any picks on top of the minimum squad size of 16 will be categorized as supplementary picks.