Hammad Azam joins Peshawar Zalmi as PSL review local and foreign player rules

Local stars will be permitted to replace foreign players who have left the competition, after 10 fled Pakistan amid the coronavirus outbreak

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Peshawar Zalmi have moved quickly to cover the swathes of exits caused by the coronavirus crisis by re-signing former Pakistan international Hammad Azam.

The 28-year-old has previously represented Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans in the PSL. In 2018, he featured for Zalmi on two occasions.

Azam played 11 one-day internationals and five T20Is for Pakistan but has not represented his country since 2015.

Zalmi have been forced into the change after five of their overseas players opted to leave due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Tom Banton, Carlos Brathwaite, Liam Dawson, Lewis Gregory and Liam Livingstone have all departed, leaving the team desperately looking for replacements.

Due to the development, which saw 10 players in all opt to leave the PSL, organisations have declared that teams will be allowed to sign local players to replace departed overseas talent.

As a result, there is no limit on the number of homegrown players which can be named in an XI, with four foreign players now permitted in each side.

Rules at the start of the competition stated each team had to field at least three overseas players, which could be extended to four.