Former Pakistan skipper and limited-overs specialist Shahid Afridi has on Tuesday signed up for Pakistan Super League (PSL) side Karachi Kings for the upcoming third edition.
The star all-rounder had been a part of the Peshawar Zalmi outfit in the second edition where he was a vital cog in the side which went all to the way to claim the trophy in the final at the Gadaffi stadium in Lahore.
The 37-year-old was traded by the two franchises after swapping picks in the gold and silver categories of the PSL player’s draft.
Afridi had already planned to swap teams due to personal reasons for the third edition of the PSL and had made an announcement on Twitter to that effect earlier this March.
The BLOCKBUSTER Trade of the Year!
Karachi Kings clinches Boom Boom Afridi in return for their Gold and Silver pick! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/KF34xhYQ5f— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) October 3, 2017
The maverick had been given the captaincy of the Peshawar side in the inaugural edition of the PSL but had handed over the leadership duties to West Indies’ Darren Sammy for the second season.
Afridi had only just recently scored his maiden T20 ton when he smashed a 42-ball 100 for Hampshire against Derbyshire in the NatWest T20 Blast quarter-finals.
Karachi Kings’ owner Salman Iqbal was understandably elated at having secured the services of the star-man.
“Shahid Afridi is the biggest name in Pakistan cricket and we are extremely pleased to have him on board,” he said.
Meanwhile, Peshawar Zalmi owner Javed Afridi thanked the all-rounder for his services and wished him the best in his new chapter.
Thank u Zalmi fans for love&support, now time to move on. Thank u Salman Iqbal for the opportunity with Kings https://t.co/zlrqT1w9CS
— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) October 3, 2017
“Shahid is a world-class player and the entire Peshawar Zalmi family thanks him for his contributions to our team. He is like a brother and we wish him the very best of luck in this new journey,” the Peshawar owner said.
According to the deal finalised between the two franchises, Peshawar will swap its picks in the gold and silver categories with Karachi who currently have the third pick in both the categories while Peshawar have the fifth.
A sixth franchise – Multan Sultans, will make their maiden bow in the PSL in the third edition making it a six-team affair.
The PSL player’s draft is expected to take place sometime this October though the dates have not been announced as of yet.
