Like all the major franchise leagues, the PSL relies on its foreign players to give the competition an element of glamour and raise the league’s standard. However, with the proliferation of global franchise leagues, demand for top international players exceeds supply, and the PSL has struggled to attract the top echelon of talent in past years because the money some of these top stars can earn elsewhere is beyond the reach of a PSL franchise.
One of the reasons that PSL 10 is being held later in the year than normal is to try and rectify this situation. In its traditional time slot of February and March, it found itself competing with leagues like SA20, LIT20, and the Bangladesh Premier League, often to its detriment when it came to attracting the best overseas talent.
This move has played off to a certain extent, with David Warner and Kane Williamson among those players set to make their PSL debut. However, the case of South African all-rounder Corbin Bosch still provides a reminder of the salary issue facing the league. Originally chosen by the Peshawar Zalmi as one of their Diamond picks, Bosch turned his back on his contractual obligations by switching to the IPL franchise, the Mumbai Indians, at the last minute when a slot opened up in their squad due to an injury (the PSL has now issued legal proceedings against him).
The maximum a player can earn playing in the PSL is US $200,000 for a single season. By contrast, Rishabh Pant is set to earn US $3.6 million to captain the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL in 2025. That would cover the entire salary budget for most PSL teams.
Foreign Players by Team PSL 10
Here is a list of the PSL foreign players by team and category which will appear in the tenth edition of the league.
Islamabad United
Platinum: Matthew Short (Australia)
Diamond: Jason Holder (The West Indies)
Gold: Ben Dwarshuis (Australia)
Silver: Andries Gous (The USA)
Supplementary: Rassie van der Dussen (South Africa), Riley Meredith (Australia)
(Note that although players are segregated into six categories, those in the Emerging section must, by definition, be of Pakistani origin).
Karachi Kings
Platinum: David Warner (Australia), Adam Milne (New Zealand)
Diamond: James Vince (England)
Silver: Tim Seiffert (New Zealand), Litton Das (Bangladesh)
Supplementary: Kane Williamson (New Zealand), Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan)
Lahore Qalandars
Platinum: Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand)
Diamond: Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe), Kusal Perera (Sri Lanka)
Silver: David Wiese (Namibia), Rishad Hossein (Bangladesh)
Supplementary: Tom Curran, Sam Billings (both England)
Multan Sultans
Platinum: Michael Bracewell (New Zealand)
Diamond David Willey (England)
Gold: Chris Jordan (England)
Silver: Gudakesh Motie (the West Indies), Josh Little (Ireland)
Supplementary: Shai Hope, Johnson Charles (both the West Indies).
Peshawar Zalmi
Platinum: Tom Kohler-Cadmore (England)
Silver: Najibullah Zadran (Afghanistan), Max Bryant (Australia)
Supplementary: Alizarri Joseph (the West Indies)
(South African all-rounder Corbin Bosch was selected as a Diamond pick, but he will now play for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL instead).
Quetta Gladiators
Platinum: Finn Allen, Mark Chapman (both New Zealand)
Diamond: Rilee Rossouw (South Africa)
Gold: Akeal Hossein (the West Indies)
Supplementary: Kyle Jamieson (New Zealand), Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka), Sean Abbott (Australia)
Notable Foreign Players Who Will Play in PSL10
David Warner (Australia)
Arguably, former Australian opening batter David Warner is the biggest foreign star set to debut in the PSL this year. Although he may now be 38 years old, he remains in high demand in franchise cricket around the world and was recently one of the top picks for the London Spirit in the Hundred draft in the UK.
Warner played in 112 tests, 161 ODIs, and 110 T20Is for Australia, scoring close to 19,000 international runs, including 49 centuries and 98 fifties. He was part of the team that won the World Cup in 2015 and the T20 World Cup in 2021. In 2023, he was a double winner, as Australia won both the World Test Championship and that year’s World Cup.
He has previously played in the IPL for the Delhi Capitals and the Sunrisers Hyderabad and has also featured in the Caribbean Premier League, the Bangladesh Premier League, and the Global T20 in Canada.
The Karachi Kings, who made him one of their Platinum selections, know also they have signed a controversial figure. His role in the “Sandpapergate” ball-tampering scandal in March 2018 in Cape Town against South Africa saw both him and his captain, Steve Smith, receive bans from all forms of cricket for a year. He was also banned from holding leadership positions for the rest of his career, a ban that was only recently lifted by Cricket Australia. And, during the last Ashes series, he became involved in a fracas with some of the members in the famous “Long Room” at Lord’sLord’s.
Warner, though, seems to revel in his notoriety. He is a figure that the crowds want to see play, and his presence in the league should help draw in overseas viewers.
Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
To the surprise of some, former New Zealand captain Kane Willamson only earned a Supplementary contract with the Kings. This, after all, is a player who has earned 370 caps across all three formats for his country and scored more than 19,000 international runs, including 48 centuries. He also captained New Zealand to major ICC trophy success when they won the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021.
Nor is he unfamiliar with franchise cricket, either. He played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL between 2017 and 2022, was part of their title-winning side in 2016, and reached another final during his two-year spell with the Gujarat Titans. Earlier this year, he featured for the Durban Super Giants in SA20.
He will captain Warner when they both line up for London Spirit in the Hundred this summer.
Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand)
New Zealander Daryl Mitchell was the first Player picked in the 2025 draft and will join the Qalandars – who, because they came last in 2024 had priority when it came to Player selection. He has been bought to enhance their batting line-up and is a seasoned performer in T20 cricket, with more than 70 international appearances to his name. He was also part of the squad that reached the final of the Champions Trophy in 2025.
Mitchell has previously played in the IPL for the Rajasthan Royals and the Chennai Super Kings. Not only does he have the ability to score runs quickly, but he is also a fine fielder.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore (England)
English player Tom Kohler-Cadmore has been an important player for Peshawar Zalmi in recent years, but they chose not to retain him, and he entered the draft, where the Quetta Gladiators acquired him. That prompted Zalmi to have a re-think, and they exercised their Right to Match (RTM)Option, which allowed them to buy him back, even those his category had been changed from Diamond to Platinum by the league. (The RTM option allows a franchise to buy back one of their former players provided that they agree to match the best salary offer for him on the table).
Chris Jordan (England)
Although he is now 36, Chris Jordan continues to be a highly prized player in T20I cricket, with his ability to score late runs and take wickets with his fast right-armed medium pacers. He is also an excellent fielder. He was an integral part of the England team that won the T20 World Cup in 2022, and his T20 CV includes spells in the CPL, IPL and the Big Bash League in Australia. Jordan is no stranger to the PSL either. He played for the Zalmi for three seasons, then had two spells with Kings before joining the Sultans, making him one of their gold-category retentions.
Litton Das (Bangladesh)
One of the few Bangladesh players to feature in PSL 10, Litton Das is a multi-format player in international cricket, although he was left out of their squad for the Champions Trophy after a loss of form. Nevertheless, he is a more than accomplished middle-order bat, which he combines with wicketkeeping duties. This will be his first year playing in the PSL, having been selected by the Karachi Kings in the silver category, but he too is no stranger to franchise cricket, having previously played in the CPL and IPL, as well as his domestic BPL.
Michael Bracewell (New Zealand)
Part of a cricketing family – two of his uncles and a cousin also played for New Zealand – Michael Bracewell was something of a late bloomer. He earned his first New Zealand cap at the age of 31, ten years after he made his first-class debut. However, he has since made up for lost time, and, in white ball cricket, is now an established part of the New Zealand squad and was named in the Team of the Tournament of the 2025 Champions Trophy. There, he showed his value as not only a frontline spinner, but also someone who could score runs down the order, and that may explain why the Multan Sultans made him one of their Platinum selections.
Historical Impact of Foreign Players in PSL
While dozens of overseas players have featured in previous editions of the PSL, the following made a particular impact.
Luke Ronchi (New Zealand)
Former New Zealand opener Luke Ronchi had a memorable season for Islamabad United in 2018.. Although his PSL career began inauspiciously, as he was out for a duck twice in his first four innings, he then found a rich vein of form. He scored half-centuries in his next seven innings. In the Qualifier against the Karachi Kings, he made an unbeaten 94 off just 30 balls, and then, in the final against Peshawar Zalmi, he made 52 off 26 balls.
He finished as the top run scorer in the competition with 435 runs at an average of 43.50 and a strike rate of 182, and he was also named the Player of the Tournament. His career average of 36.42 is the fifth best in PSL history, whilst nobody has yet bettered his strike rate of 166.12.
For good measure, in 2019, Rochi won the Imtiaz Ahmed Award, given to the best wicketkeeper of the season. He was responsible for 11 dismissals that year; 10 catches and one stumping.
Shane Watson (Australia)
Shane Watson can claim to be one of the best overseas batter to have played in the PSL. The Australian, who played in the first two seasons of the league for Islamabad United and then spent another year with the Quetta Gladiators, scored 684 runs in aggregate at an average of 29,73. The 81 sixes he hit in that time remains the record for a foreign player. Watson also captained Islamabad United in a couple of games in their title-winning 2016 season.
Although primarily regarded as a batter, Watson was also a decent right-arm fast/medium bowler, always capable of taking valuable wickets.
Ravi Bopara (England)
The former England player Ravi Bopara produced one of the finest individual performances in T20 cricket in the first tournament in 2016. Playing for the Karachi Kings against the Lahore Qalandars, he scored 71 not out of 43 balls and then took six wickets for the concession of just 16 runs. That remains a PSL record. He was also named Player of the Tournament that year after scoring 329 runs and taking 11 wickets. The all-rounder played for the Kings until 2019 and is the only Player to have twice taken four catches in a PSL innings.
Andre Russell (The West Indies)
West Indian all-rounder Andre Russell has made a name for himself playing franchise cricket worldwide. Although he only played for Islamabad United for two seasons—in 2016 and 2018 (he was injured in 2017)—he left a lasting impression. He was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament’s inaugural year, taking 16 wickets at an average of 17.25, helping the franchise win the title.
Although injuries restricted his appearances in 2018, he is remembered for his match-winning performance in a Super Over win over the Lahore Qalandars.
Daren Sammy (The West Indies)
Another seasoned West Indian performer, Daren Sammy, captained the Peshawar Zalmi to the PSL title in 2017, and his performance in the final against the Quetta Gladiators won him the Player of the Match award. In what was a low-scoring match, he made an unbeaten 28 with the bat off just 11 balls and then marshalled his bowlers skilfully as the Gladiators were bowled out for just 90.
Then, in the 2018 edition of the tournament, he scored 159 runs at a strike rate of 182.75, the highest of any player in the competition.
Jason Roy (England)
One innings that Jason Roy of England played for the Quetta Gladiators in 2023 left an indelible impression on everybody who watched it. After the Zalmi had posted 240/2 from their 20 overs, the match seemed as good as over, but opener Roy had other ideas. He smashed an unbeaten 145 off just 63 balls, including five sixes and 20 fours, as his side chased down the required total with ten balls to spare. It was the third-highest successful run chase in T20 history, and Roy scored the highest individual innings ever in the tournament.
In the process, he passed the previous highest score, which a foreigner also had claimed., Colin Munro of New Zealand, had scored an unbeaten 127 playing for the Karachi Kings against the Gladiators in 2019.
Tim David (Australia)
Only Babar Azam has a better PSL career average than the Australian Tim David, who played for the Qalandars and then the Sultans between 2021 and 2023. In 22 innings, he managed 605 runs at an average of 43.21. The 11 catches that he took in 2022 are the joint second-highest in a single season.
Kieron Pollard (the West Indies)
The man he shares that record with, Kieron Pollard of the West Indies, also had a noteworthy PSL career. His batting average for the Sultans of 38.3 is the fourth-best ever. He is second only to Babar Azam for the most catches in the league.
Ben Dunk (Australia)
Australian Ben Dunk is another foreigner who proved his worth while playing first for the Kings and then the Qalandars between 2019 and 2022. His 25 dismissals are the fourth-best by a wicketkeeper, and in 2020, he picked up the Imtiaz Ahmed Award. Meanwhile, his partnership of 155 with Samit Patel of England for the Qalandars against the Gladiators in 2020 is the fourth best ever, and the highest by two foreign players batting together.
How Foreign Players Have Shaped the PSL
Foreign players have helped elevate the status of the PSL, making it one of the most watched and valuable franchise leagues in the world. They have enhanced the league’s global standing and helped attract viewers and followers from outside Pakistan, bringing in greater advertising revenue and increasing the amount of money the league can earn from broadcast and sponsorship deals.
They also bring a wealth of experience to the PSL, and their high-performance playing styles and competitiveness help raise the standards of the Pakistan cricketers with whom they share a dressing room. This not only helps raise the overall standard of the league, but they can also serve as valuable role models for young Pakistan cricketers.
Overseas stars boost viewership and the league’s social media following, which means that it is now followed in countries across the globe. The league’s ability to attract top foreign talent also boosts its faith in itself and enhances its credibility with the Pakistani public and key sponsors.
It is also in the league’s best interests for the foreign players to do well. The better they perform and the higher the reward, the more likely it is that other overseas stars will want to enter future drafts, which, in turn, will raise the league’s overall standard and net worth. Given how valuable the PSL is to Pakistan cricket cricket’s finances, it is in the league’s interest to make the competition as welcoming an environment for foreigners as possible. This is arguably more so than ever. Hosting the Champions Trophy has left the Pakistan Cricket Board heavily in debt, and they need PSL to be a success to help fill the coffers again.
Foreign Player Statistics and Performance
Foreign Player Batting Records
The top overseas run scorer in the history of the Pakistan Super League is the South African Rilee Rossouw. He played for the Quetta Gladiators between 2017 and 2019 before moving to the Multan Sultans for four years before returning to the Gladiators last year. So far, in 80 innings, he has scored 2,105 runs at an average of 31.98.
In 2023, he scored 121 playing for the Sultans against Peshawar Zalmi, the third-highest individual innings in the competition’s history. He also broke his own record for the fastest PSL century ever, reaching three figures in just 41 balls. His fifty, which came off 17 balls, was the joint fastest PSL half-century of all time (Usman Khan of the Quetta Gladiators has since claimed that record off him).
Rossouw captained the Gladiators to the playoffs for the first time in three years last season, but although they have retained him for 2025, they have opted for a change of leadership, and Saud Shakeel will lead the side this season. The South African is currently the fifth-highest all-time run scorer in the tournament’s history.
Colin Munro of New Zealand, who initially played for the Karachi Kings before switching to Islamabad United, is tenth on the all-time list and second among the foreigners. In 47 innings, he has scored 1,417 runs at an average of 32.95, with a best of 90 not out.
Foreign Player Bowling Records
The leading foreign wicket-taker in the history of the PSL is the leg spinner Imran Tahir, who played for South Africa in all three formats of the game. Tahir was born in Punjab and was good enough as a young cricketer to have trials for the Pakistan under-19 side and to play for the Pakistan A team. He then moved to South Africa and eventually gained citizenship there.
Tahir had two spells with the Multan Sultans. He first played for them in 2018 and returned for a three-year spell in 2020. He would play in 39 matches for them and took 53 wickets at an average of 17.83, whilst his economy rate was an impressive 6.94.
How Foreign Players Affect PSL Betting Odds
As in any sports betting market, bookmakers will adjust their odds to reflect the strengths of the various teams. For example, it is no coincidence that once it had been confirmed that both David Warner and Kane Williamson would play for the Karachi Kings this season, the odds of them being crowned champions shortened.
Similarly, Warner is among the favourites to finish top run scorer in PSL 10.
However, the presence of foreign players alone is not enough to sway the betting market. Bookmakers use sophisticated algorithms and AI-enhanced computer models that take into account numerous variables when calculating betting odds.
How to watch PSL matches
Viewers in Pakistan can watch matches either on A Sports or Ten Sports or through several subscription channels. Meanwhile, TransGroup International has acquired the overseas rights, and games will be shown in various territories around the world.
Highlights will also be available on platforms like YouTube and other social media outlets.
For the first time in 2025, the PSL will be held at the same time as the IPL, meaning that the two leagues will compete for global eyeballs. The PSL will anxiously wait for viewing figures to see how its competition has held up.
FAQs about PSL Foreign Players
1. How are foreign players selected for the PSL?
First, franchises can retain foreign players who are already on their books from the previous season (and have shown a willingness to continue playing for them). In the case of the 2025 tournament, the retention list was announced a week before the player draft was held, and nine overseas players had their contracts renewed.
The rest of the players were selected via the draft. They were required to register in the various categories—Platinum, Platinum, Diamond, Gold, and Silver—corresponding to the salary band on offer.
With teams limited to just three PlatinumPlatinum picks each, some of which have already been taken by retentions, those who were not selected in that batch dropped down to the category below, in a process that continues until rosters are complete.
It should also be noted that several foreign players selected for PSL 10 are in the “Supplementary” category. Supplementary players are essentially back-ups who are picked but are not paid by teams until they join the squad during the tournament, at this point, their contract commences. They can join or leave at any point during the tournament, and for overseas players with international commitments, they offer a way of combining those with their wish to play franchise cricket.
2. Which countries are best represented in the PSL?
The best-represented foreign nation in PSL 10 will be New Zealand, with eight players from that country taking part. Australia, England, and the West Indies will each have six representatives. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka each have two representatives. Ireland, the USA, Zimbabwe, and Namibia will each have one player flying the flag for them.
3. How many foreign players are allowed per team?
Each team must have a minimum of five and a maximum of six foreign players. At least three and a maximum of four can feature in the starting XI for a match.