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As it starts to deal with the effects of the two new, financially robust T20 leagues on the circuit, the ILT20 and the SA20, the PSL is trying to increase its pay ceiling. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also proposed a hybrid model of a draft plus an auction to acquire players for the upcoming season.
ESPNcricinfo reported that the franchises are looking for more clarity before taking it on board.
Ramiz Raja, the PCB chairman, earlier stated that they needed to “elevate the concept” of the PSL and believed that an auction mechanism may help the PSL compete with the IPL, which sparked discussions on the shift in the player-acquisition structure. However, ESPNcricinfo reported that the franchise owners have requested the PCB to provide a rough estimate of the costs associated with such a change.
After a PSL governing council meeting on Friday, the PCB announced that the 2023 season of the PSL will start on February 9, and the final will take place on March 19. It had been anticipated that the PSL would start mid-February, and while the dates for the UAE’s ILT20 or the South African SA20 are not out yet officially, the earlier start means there might be a small overlap between the leagues.
Additionally, the PSL will resume using four stadiums, like it did for the fifth edition in 2020. Due to Covid-19, the league was contested in Lahore and Karachi last year; this time, Rawalpindi and Multan have been added as venues. The PSL didn’t start until February 9 of the 2023 season; the first season, in 2016, also started on that day. Last year, the PSL started in January to make place for Australia’s March tour of Pakistan.
In the Friday’s meeting, the hybrid paradigm for player selection was the main topic of conversation. The proposal, which was based on permitting four retentions and four rounds of auction with the remaining 12 players chosen through a draught procedure, was opposed by several team owners. There is also a proposal to raise the wage cap from the current US$950,000 to US$1.5 million, however because franchise representatives concentrated on the auction’s structure and pay caps, that topic was not discussed.
