A direct signing for the franchise, he becomes the third Australian to lead a PSL side this year, following David Warner with Karachi Kings and Ashton Turner with Multan Sultans.
Labuschagne is new to T20 captaincy, having never led a side at this level before. He isn’t a regular on the T20 circuit either, with just one T20I and four T20 matches since July 2024, all for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League. Primarily a top-order batter, he can also bowl off-spin or medium pace, having taken 40 wickets in 59 T20s.
As one of the two new franchises in the PSL, Hyderabad Kingsmen were the last team to announce a captain. With limited leadership experience in the squad, Labuschagne was chosen over other high-profile players such as Glenn Maxwell, Kusal Perera, and Saim Ayub. Being the first confirmed player via direct signing, he ultimately earned the leadership role.
Labuschagne will work closely with fellow Australian Jason Gillespie, the Kingsmen’s head coach and former Pakistan Test coach. The coaching staff also includes another former Pakistan coach, Grant Bradburn, as fielding coach.
The PSL 2026 kicks off with the Kingsmen playing the tournament opener against three-time champions Lahore Qalandars at Gaddafi Stadium on 26 March. Fans can expect a thrilling start to the new season!al, Pakistan produced a dominant performance to defeat arch-rivals India national cricket team by 180 runs.
Earlier in his career, Sarfaraz had also guided Pakistan’s youth team to victory in the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2006.
“It has been the greatest honour of my life to represent Pakistan. From leading the U-19 team to a world title in 2006 to lifting the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, every moment in Pakistan colours has been special,” Sarfaraz said in a statement.
“Captaining Pakistan across all formats was a dream come true. I always tried to play fearless cricket and build a united team.”
He also expressed pride in seeing several players flourish during his captaincy, including Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali.
Sarfaraz captained Pakistan in 100 international matches across all three formats and helped the team reach the number one position in the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings during his tenure.
His final appearance for Pakistan came in a Test match against Australia national cricket team in Perth in December 2023.
