After being released by Peshawar Zalmi, the Hyderabad team retained Saim Ayub for Rs 126 million (12 crore 60 lakh), making him the most expensive Pakistani player in PSL history. In doing so, he surpassed Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Shadab Khan.
Saim Ayub is currently ranked number one in the ICC Men’s T20 International all-rounders rankings, which is why almost every team in the league was keen to sign him.
The most expensive player overall remains Australia’s Steve Smith, who was signed by Sialkot Stallions for Rs 140 million (14 crore).
Hyderabad also retained aggressive fast bowler Usman Khan for Rs 46.2 million (4 crore 62 lakh).
In the Emerging category, Muaz Sadaqat was picked for Rs 35 million (3 crore 50 lakh), while in the Gold category Akif Javed was included for Rs 19.6 million (1 crore 96 lakh).
According to experts, Saim Ayub’s high-value retention is encouraging for young cricketers and is expected to increase the level of competition and overall quality of cricket in the league.
These retentions are also setting new records in terms of marketing and player salaries in the Pakistan Super League.
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