PSL 10: Franchises raise questions over players' categories

In the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the categories for local players are determined by the franchises, with each team having the right to provide input on the selection of five players. However, in case of any disagreements, the national selection committee makes the final decision. This year, the final decisions were made by former Test stars Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq, along with former umpire Aleem Dar. This has raised some questions, especially regarding the decisions made for certain players.

One of the most debated decisions revolves around Multan Sultans' Usman Khan, who was second on the list of top run-scorers in the previous PSL season with 430 runs at an average of 107.50, just behind Babar Azam. Usman also scored two centuries and as many fifties in that season. After his impressive performance, he continued to play regular T20 cricket and remained part of the Pakistan squad. Despite four franchises voting to place him in the Platinum category, Usman was placed in the Diamond category instead.

In another surprising move, Lahore Qalandars' Abdullah Shafique, who has not played any T20 matches since the last PSL, was promoted from Gold to Diamond category. Meanwhile, Karachi Kings' Hasan Ali was moved from Diamond to Platinum, with the reason for his promotion being that Karachi Kings did not have any player in the Platinum category.

Additionally, retired cricketers Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim have also been included in the top category, despite not being active in international cricket. The decision to include Hasan Ali in the Platinum category was attributed to Karachi Kings' lack of a player in that category.

The relegation and retention announcements for the PSL players will be made at the end of this month, with the players' draft scheduled to take place on January 11, either in Karachi or Lahore.