Pakistan fast bowler Ihsanullah, who briefly retired from the PSL after being snubbed in the draft before reversing his decision, has secured a last-minute deal with Peshawar Zalmi just hours before the latest edition began on Friday (April 11).
Ihsanullah first made headlines for his consistent 150kph pace in the PSL, earning him a rapid call-up to Pakistan's ODI team. However, his career took a downturn when he suffered an elbow injury during his debut in April 2023. The express pacer then endured 21 months on the sidelines due to mismanagement by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), including a botched surgery and inadequate rehabilitation.
Multan Sultans, the PSL franchise Ihsanullah previously represented, saw their owner Ali Tareen express concerns that the pacer might never regain his original bowling pace. Ihsanullah, however, defiantly responded by vowing to return to 150 kmph speeds within a month.
At the PSL 2025 draft, neither his former side Multan Sultans nor Peshawar Zalmi, for whom Ihsanullah had undertaken trials, picked him up. This snub led the pacer to announce his retirement from all franchise cricket, though he reversed the decision within 24 hours, admitting it was made in "an emotional state of mind".
In a last-minute reprieve, Peshawar Zalmi threw Ihsanullah a lifeline by selecting him in the supplementary category just hours before the PSL season began.
Right Arm Fast Bowler Ihsan Ullah joins the #YellowStorm in Supplementary Category for #HBLPSLX 💛#Zalmi | #ZalmiXLegacy pic.twitter.com/DCsZOooLx9
— Peshawar Zalmi (@PeshawarZalmi) April 11, 2025
Notably, this wasn't Zalmi's only post-draft adjustment. South African all-rounder Corbin Bosch, initially picked in the Diamond catergory, withdrew from the tournament after being called up by Mumbai Indians as a replacment in IPL 2025. This late withdrawal resulted in a one-year ban for Bosch in the tournament. Zalmi replaced him with fellow South African spin-bowling all-rounder George Linde.
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