Shamar Joseph [Source: AFP]In an important and unexpected move, Islamabad United have decided to remove West Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph from their squad. Instead, they are planning to bring in Zimbabwean pacer Blessing Muzarabani as his replacement. Earlier, Islamabad United had bought Joseph for his base price of PKR 11 million during the Pakistan Super League (PSL 2026 auction) held at Expo Centre on February 11.Islamabad United end contract with Shamar JosephInterestingly, no other team placed a bid for him at the auction. However, according to reports by ESPNcricinfo, the contract between Joseph and the franchise has now been ended by mutual agreement. This means that both the player and the team agreed to part ways without any dispute.The main reason behind this change is that Islamabad United want to strengthen their fast bowling attack. Muzarabani, who is 29 years old, has experience playing in the PSL before. Notably, he was part of the Islamabad United squad that won the PSL title in 2021. Therefore, the team management believes he can add value and experience to their bowling lineup.Final approval pending from PSL’s technical committeeReports also suggest that neither the player nor the franchise plans to release a public statement about this decision. Moreover, the final approval of this change will come from the PSL’s technical committee.It is important to note that Islamabad United are one of the most successful teams in PSL history, having won three titles, which is a joint record. Besides Muzarabani, the team has also added several other fast bowlers, including Mohammad Hasnain, Salman Irshad, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mir Hamza, and Richard Gleeson.In addition, seam-bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf returned to the team as their first pick in the auction. He was also the second most expensive player overall in the draft.Meanwhile, Shamar Joseph has been in excellent form in the ongoing T20 World Cup. So far, he has taken seven wickets in just two innings, with an impressive economy rate of 4.13. However, reports say the team may have changed its decision after many people reacted strongly to serious claims made about the player in 2025. According to reports, Joseph was accused last year by at least 11 women, including a teenage relative, of rape, sexual assault, harassment, and unwanted advances. The accusations were widely reported in Caribbean media and internationally.Blessing Muzarabani’s recent performanceAlthough Muzarabani had some inconsistent performances over the past year, he recently made a strong comeback. During the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, he delivered a match-winning performance against Australia and was named Player of the Match. As a result, Zimbabwe are now in a strong position to qualify for the Super 8 stage, having won both of their matches so far.Once the replacement is officially confirmed, Muzarabani will join fellow Zimbabwean player Sikandar Raza in the PSL. PSL 2026 date revealedThe PSL 2026 season will begin on March 26 and end on May 3, as announced by the PCB. This season will also introduce two new teams: Sialkot Stallionz and Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen. Furthermore, Multan Sultans have been sold to a new owner, who has shifted the team’s base to Rawalpindi.Overall, Islamabad United were among the most active teams in PSL 11 under the league’s first full auction system. They retained key players such as Shadab Khan, Salman Irshad, and Andries Gous.
