LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) on Tuesday released the list of players retained by the franchises for the Season-4 with all-rounder Shahid Afridi being released by Karachi Kings, after the franchise decided not to retain him for the next season of the tournament. Shakib Al Hasan, Kieron Pollard, Misbah ul Haq, Kumar Sangakkara and Mohammad Hafeez were the other big names to be released by their respective PSL franchises as the window for retentions came to a close yesterday. Each team was given the option to retain up to 10 players in their respective squads before the player draft that is set to take place on November 20 in Islamabad. According to PSL rules, a franchise can feature up to three platinum, three diamond, three gold, and five silver category players with two emerging players in its final squad once the draft is over. The fourth edition of the PSL will begin on February 14 in the UAE. The Pakistan Cricket Board plans to host up to eight matches across Lahore and Karachi, with the latter also getting to host the final. 1: Islamabad United Retained (10 players): Shadab Khan (Platinum), Luke Ronchi (Platinum), Faheem Ashraf (Platinum), Mohammad Sami (Diamond), Asif Ali (Diamond), Rumman Raees (Gold), Hussain Talat (Silver, Ambassador), Sahibzada Farhan (Silver), Zafar Gohar (Silver), Waqas Maqsood (Silver). 2: Karachi Kings Retained (8 players): Mohammad Amir (Platinum), Babar Azam (Platinum), Colin Munro (Platinum), Usman Khan (Diamond), Colin Ingram (Diamond, Ambassador), Imad Wasim (Diamond), Mohammad Rizwan (Gold), Ravi Bopara (Gold). 3: Lahore Qalandars Retained (8 players): Fakhar Zaman (Platinum), Yasir Shah (Diamond), Anton Devcich (Gold), Rahat Ali (Gold), Shaheen Afridi (Silver, Ambassador), Hasan Khan (Silver), Agha Salman (Silver), Sohail Akhtar (Silver) 4: Quetta Gladiators Retained (9 players): Sarfraz Ahmed (Platinum), Sunil Narine (Platinum), Shane Watson (Diamond, Mentor), Sohail Tanvir (Diamond), Mohammad Nawaz (Diamond), Rilee Rossouw (Gold, Ambassador), Umar Akmal (Gold), Anwar Ali (Silver), Saud Shakil (Silver) 5: Peshawar Zalmi Retained (8 players): Wahab Riaz (Platinum), Hasan Ali (Platinum), Darren Sammy (Diamond), Kamran Akmal (Diamond, Ambassador), Liam Dawson (Gold), Umaid Asif (Silver), Khalid Usman (Silver), Sameen Gul (Emerging) 6: Sixth Team (previously Multan Sultans) Retained (8 players): Shoaib Malik (Platinum), Junaid Khan (Diamond), Mohammad Irfan (Diamond, Ambassador), Shan Masood (Gold), Mohammad Abbas (Silver), Mohammad Irfan Khan (Silver), Umar Siddiq (Silver), Mohammad Junaid (Emerging). Published in Daily Times, November 14th 2018.