Shamar Joseph
Shamar Joseph Credits: Twitter

Peshawar Zalmi has signed young West Indies pace bowler Shamar Joseph as a partial substitute for England’s Gus Atkinson in the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 9. The franchise has announced his signing on their social media handles.

Shamar Joseph gained fame in cricket after his impressive performance in a two-match test series on Australian soil. The 24-year-old has been given the chance to play for Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League, captained by Babar Azam.

Joseph has only been playing professional cricket for a year, and his fast-paced development is evident in his latest acquisition. He was signed by the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League last year, and he played two games in the 2023 season without taking a wicket. Joseph has only played two official T20s in his career, with another two List-A matches and seven first-class caps.

Peshawar Zalmi owner Javed Afridi presented a franchise shirt with Joseph’s Test wickets (13) from his maiden series in Australia printed on the back of a Zalmi jersey as a symbol of his appreciation. The right-arm pacer bowled an outstanding spell to secure his team’s first Test victory in Australia since 1997.

Initially, Zalmi announced that Atkinson would replace Afghanistan leg-spinner Noor Ahmad, but Atkinson’s commitment to test matches in India made it impossible. The club then confirmed on social media that Joseph would replace Atkinson in the competition.

In addition to Shamar Joseph, Peshawar Zalmi has also confirmed Waqar Salamkheil as a replacement for Lungi Ngidi, while Gus Atkinson will replace Noor Ahmad, who will miss the competition due to international obligations. Khurram Shahzad, who will be available for the PSL 9, has been replaced by Arshad Iqbal. Zalmi has also reserved a choice for Naveen-ul-Haq.

Earlier, Peshawar Zalmi voiced their discontent with the schedule for the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) season. The ninth edition of the PSL is scheduled to take place from February 17 to March 18 at four different venues: Lahore, Karachi, Multan, and Rawalpindi.

However, Peshawar Zalmi are unhappy with the number of games scheduled to take place in Rawalpindi and Karachi. Rawalpindi will host eight matches, but Peshawar Zalmi will only play four there. In Karachi, they will only play one game.