The owner of the new league of Pakistan Super League (PSL) Fawad Sarwar has made it clear that Pakistan’s batting star Babar Azam tops his wishlist as the new side Hyderabad prepares for its debut in the 11th season.

 

In a recent interview, Sarwar spoke about his passion for cricket, team plans, and how he views the upcoming season.

 

When asked about his favourite player, Sarwar said, Babar Azam is his favourite cricketer, and if the opportunity arises, he would love to include him in my team. 

 

"Of course, every team would want him. For now, we haven’t thought about any other players. We’ll make decisions once we know which players have been retained by their current franchises," he said.

 

Sarwar, whose group won the Hyderabad franchise at the PSL expansion auction, praised the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to introduce an auction system this year. 

 

“There couldn’t have been a better step. The chairman and management made a great decision. We were the only group that initially pushed for this idea, and eventually, others joined in,” he said.

 

PSL has introduced new player retention rules for its 11th edition. Under the updated policy, each franchise may retain a maximum of four local players before the player auction, with a limit of one from each category: Platinum, Diamond, Gold, and Silver. After retentions conclude, teams will enter the first-ever PSL player auction on February 11 to complete their rosters.

 

Since teams can retain only one Platinum player, sides like Peshawar Zalmi must make tough choices, meaning they may release either Babar or Saim ahead of the auction.

 

Hyderabad has appointed former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie as head coach, supported by assistants Craig White and Grant Bradburn.

 

Sarwar said owning a PSL team fulfilled a long-held dream. His group secured the Hyderabad franchise for approximately Rs1.75 billion, outbidding competitors in a high-profile auction. He added that the team’s full name and logo are ready and will be unveiled closer to the auction or at a planned launch event.

 

The 2026 Pakistan Super League, expanded to eight teams including Hyderabad and Sialkot Stallions, will run from March 26 to May 3 this year.