Lahore Qalandars bag the first pick as player draft order finalised for PSL 2023

Shaheen Afridi in Lahore Qalandars jersey [Source: Twitter]

In a significant development, defending champions Lahore Qalandars are set to make the first pick in the Pakistan Super League 2023 draft. 

The pick order was decided through a random draw on Monday at the PCB office, with representatives of the six concerned franchises participating in the event. 

The winners of the 2019 edition, Quetta Gladiators, and the 2021 championships, Multan Sultans, will have the second and third picks, respectively. 

Meanwhile, the fourth and fifth picks will be done by the 2020 winners Karachi Kings and two-time champions (2016 and 2018) Islamabad United, respectively. 

Peshawar Zalmi, who emerged victorious in the PSL 2017, will have the final pick in the first round. The next 17 rounds were decided through a special statistical tool.

Here's what the tournament director Usman Wahla stated

"We have set small milestones for our flagship event and Pick Order for HBL PSL 2023 was one of the targets. This has set the tone for this year’s Player Draft as the teams will now have absolute clarity on their turn and how they will make best use of their chances to pick players for one of the most grueling and fiercely-contested leagues,

"Player Registration window for foreign players is also open and we are receiving encouraging responses, which is a testament to the reputation of the HBL PSL and how much the top players want to be part of it."

Mr Wahla also announced Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi as the venues for the tournament. He also seemed determined to make the lucrative league more friendly for the spectators via new initiatives. 

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