LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is set for its first-ever player auction as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to move on from the draft system. The decision is likely to be announced today, according to Pakistani media reports on Sunday.
According to reports, the league’s Governing Council’s Working Committee convened a late-night meeting on Saturday to discuss key points regarding the 11th edition of the Pakistan’s premier T20 competition which included ‘player auction’ and ‘retention policies’.
The decision on two important matters, auction and retention, are set to be finalised at the meeting, pending final approval from PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
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Sports Manch understands that Naqvi is in favour of the auction system, and five franchises, including Lahore Qalandars, have also voted in favour of the auction, while two franchises voted for the draft system.
The five existing franchises, apart from Multan Sultans, which has to be resold after its previous owner, Ali Tareen, decided to step away, agreed on four retentions, one from each category. One player can be shifted to a lower category and made a brand ambassador.
Meanwhile, the new franchises were in favour of zero retentions. The two new teams are allowed to select players in the same way from the remaining players’ pool, and the rest of the players will be picked through an auction.
The Players Auction is expected to be held after the Team Auction for Multan Sultans’ franchise rights.
As per reports, teams will no longer be bound to include an emerging player in their playing XI in the PSL.
PSL Winners
2015: Islamabad United
2016: Peshawar Zalmi
2017: Islamabad United
2018: Quetta Gladiators
2019: Karachi Kings
2020: Multan Sultans
2021: Lahore Qalandars
2022: Lahore Qalandars
2023: Islamabad United
2024: Lahore Qalandars