Naseem Shah and Faheem Ashraf Set New Records at Historic PSL Auction

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) witnessed a transformative moment as its first-ever player auction saw Naseem Shah and Faheem Ashraf command unprecedented fees, reshaping team line-ups and sparking intense bidding wars across franchises.

Headline Deals: Naseem and Faheem Dominate the Auction

Naseem Shah emerged as the auction’s top earner, moving from Islamabad United to the newly established Rawalpindi franchise for a record PKR 86.5 million. Meanwhile, Faheem Ashraf made his return to Islamabad United, who secured his services for PKR 85 million. These headline deals underscored the high demand for elite local talent and set new financial benchmarks in the league’s history.

Major Player Movements and Key Retentions

With team retention quotas reduced from eight to four, franchises focused on reacquiring familiar faces to strengthen their squads. Notable moves included:

David Warner: The incoming Karachi Kings captain for 2025, rejoined the franchise for PKR 79 million.
Haris Rauf: Lahore Qalandars prioritized bringing back the pace spearhead, signing him for PKR 76 million.
Fakhar Zaman: Lahore Qalandars retained their star opener for PKR 79.5 million, highlighting his value to the team.
Rilee Rossouw: The South African batter returned to Quetta Gladiators, the side he led to their 2022 title, for PKR 55 million.
Hasan Ali: Reunited with Karachi Kings on a PKR 47.6 million deal.

International Stars Attract Competitive Bids

The auction floor was equally animated for overseas talent. New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell incited a bidding duel, ultimately joining Rawalpindi for PKR 80.5 million. Islamabad United successfully outbid rivals to add Mark Chapman for PKR 70 million. Among Australians, Adam Zampa joined Karachi Kings for PKR 45 million, while veteran pacer Peter Siddle landed at Sialkot Stallionz with a PKR 25 million contract, a nod to his sustained form in T20 leagues.

Strategic Acquisitions and Emerging Talent

Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen, who had already secured Marnus Labuschagne and retained Saim Ayub, took a strategic approach by signing USA internationals Hammad Azam and Shayan Jahangir-both Pakistan-born-strengthening their identity as a Pakistan-American franchise. Lahore Qalandars picked up Ubaid Shah, the youngest brother of Naseem, while Hyderabad Kingsmen added Hunain Shah after he went unsold in the initial rounds.

Spotlight on Domestic Prospects

Despite limited overall interest in domestic players, rising star Sameer Minhas-instrumental in Pakistan’s Under-19 Asia Cup triumph-drew significant attention, with Islamabad United clinching his signature for PKR 19 million. In contrast, Shahnawaz Dahani, a previous PSL breakout, surprisingly went unsigned.

Complete Team Rosters After the Auction

Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen

Marnus Labuschagne, Saim Ayub, Akif Javed, Maaz Sadaqat, Usman Khan, Mohammad Ali, Kusal Perera, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Hassan Khan, Shayan Jahangir, Ottniel Baartman, Hammad Azam, Riley Meredith, Sharjeel Khan, Asif Mehmood, Hunain Shah, Rizwan Mehmood, Saad Ali, Tayyab Arif

Islamabad United

Devon Conway, Shadab Khan, Salman Irshad, Andries Gous, Faheem Ashraf, Mehran Mumtaz, Max Bryant, Mark Chapman, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mir Hamza Sajjad, Sameen Gul, Sameer Minhas, Shamar Joseph, Imad Wasim, Richard Gleeson, Haider Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Dipendra Singh Airee

Karachi Kings

Moeen Ali, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Khushdil Shah, Saad Baig, David Warner, Azam Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Shahid Aziz, Mir Hamza, Adam Zampa, Hamza Sohail, Aqib Ilyas, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Johnson Charles, Muhammad Waseem, Ihsanullah, Rizwanullah

Lahore Qalandars

Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abdullah Shafique, Sikandar Raza, Mohammad Naeem, Haris Rauf, Usama Mir, Fakhar Zaman, Ubaid Shah, Mohammad Farooq, Dasun Shanaka, Parvez Hussain Emon, Asif Ali, Hussain Talat, Tayyab Tahir, Gudakesh Motie

Rawalpindi

Mohammad Rizwan, Sam Billings, Zaman Khan, Yasir Khan, Naseem Shah, Rishad Hossain, Daryl Mitchell, Mohammad Amir, Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Dian Forrestor, Laurie Evans, Asif Afridi, Kamran Ghulam, Fawad Ali, Mohammad Amir Khan, Shahzaib Khan

Peshawar Zalmi

Aaron Hardie, Babar Azam, Sufyan Moqim, Abdul Samad, Ali Raza, Aamir Jamal, Khuram Shahzad, Mohammad Haris, Khalid Usman, Abdul Subhan, James Vince, Michael Bracewell, Kusal Mendis, Iftikhar Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Mirza Tahir Baig, Kashif Ali

Quetta Gladiators

Spencer Johnson, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq, Hasan Nawaz, Shamyl Hussain, Rilee Rossouw, Faisal Akram, Arafat Minhas, Jahandad Khan, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Wasim Akram Jnr, Khan Zaib, Bismillah Khan, Saqib Khan, Brett Hampton, Sam Harper, Bevon Jacobs, Saud Shakeel, Ben McDermott, Tom Curran

Sialkot Stallionz

Steve Smith, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Ahmed Daniyal, Saad Masood, Jahanzaib Sultan, Sahibzada Farhan, Ashton Turner, Peter Siddle, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lachlan Shaw, Delano Potgieter, Josh Phillippe, Shan Masood, Momin Qamar, Muhammad Awais Zafar

A Landmark Auction Sets the Stage for a New PSL Era

This historic PSL auction has not only reset the market for player valuations but also injected new excitement and narrative into the league. With star power returning to familiar franchises and promising youngsters given opportunities to shine, the stage is set for a fiercely contested season ahead.