Babar Azam swaps Karachi Kings for Peshawar Zalmi as PSL8 retentions confirmed

Harry Brook (Lahore Qalandars), Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Peshawar Zalmi), Jason Roy and Will Smeed (both Quetta Gladiators) have all been retained by their respective franchises

Babar Azam has delivered the first major move of the 2023 Pakistan Super League, with the Pakistan skipper swapping Karachi Kings for Peshawar Zalmi.

All but two of Babar's 66 PSL appearances have come for the Kings (he's also represented Islamabad United) and he is the franchise's all-time leading run-scorer, with 2,398 runs at 43.60 (23 half-centuries).

Haider Ali and Shoaib Malik have headed in the opposite direction while Peshawar Zalmi have also received the first supplementary round pick as part of the trade.

Each team could retain up to eight players from last season's squad. Their squads for 2023 can contain a maximum of 18 players – three platinum, three diamond, three gold, five silver, two emerging and two supplementary – following the draft.

Peshawar Zalmi have kept many of their big guns, including veteran Wahab Riaz, West Indies international Sherfane Rutherford and rising star Mohammad Haris. Tom Kohler-Cadmore has also been retained but England duo Liam Livingstone and Saqib Mahmood are among the absentees from last season's squad.

^{Shaheen Shah Afridi (centre) is among the players retained by Lahore Qalandars [Arif Ali/Getty Images]}

Likewise, Lahore Qalandars have retained a strong core for their title defence, with Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Rashid Khan, David Wiese and Harry Brook all staying with the 2022 champions. Phil Salt, however, has not been kept.

Elsewhere, both Jason Roy and Will Smeed, originally a replacement for Ben Duckett, are set to stay with Quetta Gladiators while Rilee Rossouw and Tim David are continuing their association with Multan Sultans.

Naseem Shah is perhaps the biggest Pakistani name to miss out on a contract after being let go by the Gladiators.

Four hundred and ninety-three players have registered for the 2023 draft, with Aaron Finch, Adil Rashid, Dawid Malan, Mohammad Nabi, Rassie van der Dussen, Tom Curran, and Wanindu Hasaranga among 29 overseas players up for grabs in the platinum category.

Over one quarter (140) of the foreign players to register their interest in the tournament are English.

Tournament director, Usman Wahla, said: "Today we have checked another box on our journey towards the  Pakistan Super League 8. It gives me immense pleasure that the HBL PSL has transformed into one of the most successful and sought after leagues, and the interest and willingness of the T20 superstars from around the world to be a part of it is a testimony.

"Foreign players, from time to time, reflect on how the quality and competitiveness of the HBL PSL has helped them in enhancing their skillset. With every passing day, we are stepping up our efforts to ensure that the upcoming edition goes down as the best to have taken place. The presence of these superstars will light up the stadiums in Lahore, Karachi, Multan and Rawalpindi."

^{Jason Roy and Will Smeed have both been retained by Quetta Gladiators [Asif Hassan/Getty Images]}

Islamabad United: Shadab Khan (platinum), Asif Ali (brand ambassador), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (diamond), Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Hassan Ali (gold), Colin Munro, Paul Stirling (silver)

Karachi Kings: Haider Ali (platinum), Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Shoaib Malik (diamond), Aamir Yamin, Mir Hamza, Sharjeel Khan (silver), Qasim Akram (emerging)

Lahore Qalandars: Rashid Khan, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi (platinum), David Wiese (diamond), Abdullah Shafique (gold), Harry Brook, Kamran Ghulam (silver), Zaman Khan (emerging)

Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan (platinum), Khushdil Shah, Rilee Rossouw, Shan Masood (diamond), Shahnawaz Dahani (brand ambassador), Tim David (gold), Abbas Afridi, Ihsanullah (emerging)

Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (platinum), Sherfane Rutherford, Wahab Riaz (diamond), Mohammad Haris (gold), Aamir Jamal (brand ambassador), Salman Irshad, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (silver)

Quetta Gladiators: Mohammad Nawaz (platinum), Iftikhar Ahmed, Jason Roy (diamond), Mohammad Hasnain, Sarfaraz Ahmed (gold), Naveen ul Haq, Umar Akmal (mentor), Will Smeed (silver)