The champions of Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) season five, Karachi Kings, have orchestrated a significant trade with Multan Sultans in anticipation of the upcoming draft on December 13.
As part of this exchange, Shan Masood, the current Test captain of Pakistan, will join the Karachi Kings. In return, Karachi Kings bid farewell to left-arm wrist spinner Faisal Akram, along with their first picks in the diamond and silver rounds.
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Alexa, close the retentions and trade windows after this mega trade of the titans-
Shan Masood moves to 🔁 Karachi Kings
Faisal Akram moves to 🔁 Multan Sultans#HBLPSLDraft #HBLPSL9@KarachiKingsARY @MultanSultans pic.twitter.com/P5FHmNvYJq
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) December 7, 2023
Having initially joined the Sultans in 2018, Masood made his PSL debut against the Kings in 2019. He played a pivotal role in leading the Sultans to top the league stage in the 2020 season, marking their first-ever qualification for the playoffs.
With 1,318 runs in 42 matches, Masood significantly contributed to the Sultans’ title win in 2021. Expressing gratitude to Masood, Sultans Chief Executive Ali Khan Tareen acknowledged his significant role in the team’s success and wished him well in his new endeavor with Karachi Kings.
In a prior trade, Karachi Kings had swapped their last edition’s captain, Imad Wasim, to Islamabad United in exchange for Hasan Ali.
The draft for PSL season nine is scheduled to take place at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore on December 13. PSL 9 is tentatively set to run from February 8 to March 24, 2024.
There have been speculations about potential hosts for some PSL 9 matches, with UAE and South Africa being considered due to elections in Pakistan. However, franchise preferences lean towards hosting the entire event in Pakistan.