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Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises have revealed the retention fees for Season 11. In a major development, four top players have been retained by franchises at a staggering 7 crore rupees each. These players include Babar Azam, Shahin Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, and Shadab Khan. Islamabad United has signed Devon Conway from New Zealand for 6 crore 30 lakh rupees, while Maheen Ali has joined Karachi Kings for 6 crore 44 lakh rupees.
Last year’s Cricket World Cup and T20 World Cup winner Maheen Ali has been retained by Karachi Kings. The franchise has retained Hassan Ali for 4 crore 76 lakh rupees, while Usman Tariq, Safiyan Maqbool, Abbas Afridi, and Abdullah Shafiq have been retained for 5 crore 60 lakh, 4 crore 48 lakh, 3 crore 8 lakh, and 2 crore 20 lakh rupees, respectively.
Other retained players include Khushdil Shah (3 crore 36 lakh), Hassan Nawaz (3 crore 92 lakh), Sikandar Raza (2 crore 80 lakh), and Abdul Samad (2 crore 8 lakh). According to PCB rules, franchises are required to disclose the retention fees of retained players.
In other news, India has won the ICC Under-19 World Cup. The Asian Under-21 Snooker Championship final was played between Pakistan’s Ahsan Raza and Iran’s Shahin Sabzi in Qatar. Pakistan’s cricket team has started their training session at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.
Max O’Dowd, a batsman from the Netherlands, has said that Pakistan is a tough team to beat. England and Australia have advanced to the semi-finals, while India has defeated Afghanistan. Pakistan’s cricket team captain Salman Ali Agha has said that his team is not under pressure to perform well in the first matches.
According to Cricket Australia, there is no pressure on Pakistan to perform well in the first matches. Pakistani cricketers Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Basit Khan, and Rameez Raja will commentate on the World Cup. Former Indian captain Kapil Dev has said that decisions like Pakistan’s boycott of India are made under the government and cricket board’s policy.
Several exciting things are expected to happen in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, including the participation of veteran players. According to a report by Lincoln Media, the Sri Lankan Cricket Board has written to the Pakistan Cricket Board, stating that Pakistan’s boycott has affected Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, with many fans canceling their hotel bookings due to the boycott.
Former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik has said that the cricket season is at its peak and has sparked a debate about selectors. A video has been released showing Pakistani cricketers imitating Abrar Ahmed’s style.
In a separate development, the Pakistan cricket team has shifted their focus to the fitness of women players, with a large number of young players joining the team to prepare for the World Cup. The captain of the national team has decided to take a step forward in solidarity with Bangladesh.
According to government sources, the suicide bomber had received training for terrorist activities from Afghanistan. Sindh government has canceled its cultural night music program in solidarity with the victims of the Islamabad blast.
Inspector General of Police (IG) of Islamabad, in an interview with the media, said that Inspector General’s cousin is also among the martyrs. Thomas Dine said that a two-way treaty with a single nuclear power is not suitable, with China’s nuclear stockpile lacking transparency, announcements, and control mechanisms.
