Lahore Qalandars COO and team manager Sameen Rana has expressed dissatisfaction with teams approaching players directly to buy them off and “promoting a culture of bribes” as cricket players consider jumping around before the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 draft. Using his official X, formerly Twitter account, Rana defended teams’ rights to choose their players while cautioning against paying players bribes.
“Making a good team for your franchises is your right and for that you have the right to select player AVAILABLE in the draft or trade them where possible,” he wrote on his Facebook page. Then he requested franchises to stop the league’s cricket players from being bought off.
What is going on in PSL? The Lahore Qalandars COO opens the door
“Let’s avoid creating and endorsing a bribery culture. Merely a modest request,” he continued.
A number of cricket players are anticipated to switch teams prior to the PSL draft on December 13, which coincides with Rana’s post. According to reports, teams are contacting players directly to request that they be demoted, waived from their contracts, or made available for draft selection in order to improve their draft position.
It is purported that the players are being enticed with the promise of a better category or greater compensation prior to the draft. Naseem Shah of the Quetta Gladiators was reportedly approached by several teams prior to the draft. His arrival at Islamabad United is now anticipated.
For the upcoming PSL season 9, the Quetta Gladiators have traded Iftikhar Ahmed to the Multan Sultans in place of Rilee Rossouw. In a statement announcing the trade, the Sultans also disclosed that they would receive the first pick in the Silver category and the first pick in the Platinum round as part of the agreement.
Rossouw is also rejoining the team from which he made his PSL debut with his trade to Quetta. This was the second trade confirmed in PSL ahead of the draft after Imad Wasim was traded by the Karachi Kings for Hassan Ali from Islamabad United earlier this week. Wasim, who guided Karachi to their maiden PSL title in the fifth edition, has been taken by United under the Platinum.
