Lahore Qalandars - (Source:X.Com)
The upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is set to overlap with IPL for another season because of the T20 World Cup in February. The 11th edition of Pakistan’s premier T20 league will feature two new teams - Hyderabad and Sialkot. The PCB has made massive changes for PSL 11, and now there is a debate about whether the league should opt for IPL-like auction mode.
Notably, PSL has their draft system place, which happens before a season. However, there is a huge demand to go for auction, which gives a fair opportunity to all teams to buy players of their choice.
Lahore Qalandars object to PCB’s demand
In a significant development, there is a report from Qadir Khawaja that three teams - Karachi Kings, Islamabad United, and Quetta Gladiators want the PSL draft to be replaced by auction. However, Lahore Qalandars is the only team to have voted in favour of the draft.
Meanwhile, Peshawar Zalmi are yet to respond to PCB’s query, and it is awaited whether they follow Lahore Qalandars or join hands with the other three teams to follow the auction route.
Teams in favour of Auction
- Karachi Kings
- Islamabad United
- Quetta Gladiators
Teams against Auction
Lahore Qalandars
At present, the PSL has also not made it clear whether they will opt for auction mode only after all five teams agree for it or even majority of votes will bring the much-awaited change in Pakistan cricket.
What is PSL draft and how is it different from IPL auction?
Talking about the PSL draft, there are six teams and six categories to pick from. It is worth noting that each team gets to make a pick from - Gold, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Emerging, and Supplementary.
The order is made by the PCB themselves based on teams' performances in a previous season or they either consult with the franchise owners and decide on the pick order. Here is how the pick-order looks for PSL 2025.
Now the first team reveals their choice from the platinum category, and similarly, each team gets to take a pick as per their order. Thus, unlike the IPL auction, there is no bidding war, and the team has to make a pick based on their pick order and the players left in that category.
The method has often been termed unfair as there is no clarity over the methods used to select the pick order. Also, it is worth noting that the salaries are also pre-determined based on the category and the player in platinum getting the highest salary.
The process for an auction is simple. The players- Indian + overseas stars register for the mega-event. The players are then divided into different sets, and then the auctioneer announces their names. It is up to the teams to bid for the player, who comes with a base price.
The team with the highest bid eventually gets to avail of that players' services for the upcoming season. The reason behind why Pakistan Super League doesn't do an auction is because of financial restrictions in PSL.
