The Pakistan Super League (PSL) new franchise Sialkot Stallionz have reportedly signed Australia’s ace batter Steve Smith for the landmark season 11.
According to sources, Smith has been directly signed ahead of the PSL 11 auction, scheduled for February 11.
The star batter could be in action for one of the expensive franchises of the tournament, which was bought by OZ developers during the PSL 2026 auction held at the Jinnah Convention Centre on January 8.
OZ Developers bought the outfit for a record bid of Rs 1.85 billion, making it the most expensive franchise purchase in PSL history.
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Smith, 36, is vastly experienced and has played 167 ODIs, 123 Tests, and 67 T20Is for Australia.
He was recently in action during the business end of the Big Bash League (BBL) 15. The right-hander was in supreme form for the Sydney Sixers, amassing 299 runs in six matches at a stellar average of 59.80 with one century and two half-centuries to his name.
Overall, he has scored 6242 runs in his T20I career, including five centuries and 30 half-centuries at a strike rate of 131.38.
The historic expanded PSL 11 with the inclusion of two new teams, Sialkot Stallionz and Hyderabad — yet to be officially named- will kick off on 26 March across five cities—Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, and Faisalabad —making Faisalabad one of the cities making its debut in the PSL.
Why is Steve Smith directly signed in PSL 11?
With the PSL moving from a traditional draft system to an auction, there have been numerous rule changes, and direct signing is one of them.
Under the new rule, all eight outfits can sign one foreign player directly outside the auction process. The condition is that the player must not have featured in PSL x.