Ramiz Raja bats for auction process in PSL to directly rival IPL

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has suggested that Pakistan Super League (PSL) might ditch the draft system and adopt the auction process in order to elevate the T20 league's financial clout to rival the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Since its inception, the PCB had adopted the draft system in order to ensure that the franchises with less capital don't get locked out of buying marquee players because they can't pay for their services.

However, Raja is strongly in favour of having an auction system in place as, according to him, Pakistan needs to create 'new properties' in order to reduce its dependence on the ICC funds, 90% of which come through Indian cricket.

"We need to create new properties to be financially independent. We have nothing for now but the PSL and ICC funds. There's an argument over the model from next year; I want to switch it to an auction model from next year. The market forces are conducive, but we'll sit down with the franchise owners to discuss it," said Raja at the National Cricket Stadium in Karachi as quoted by Cricinfo.

"This is a game of money. When the cricket economy grows in Pakistan, our respect will rise. The main driver of that financial economy is the PSL. If we take the PSL to auction model, increase the purse, then I'll put it in the IPL bracket. And then we'll see who goes to play the IPL over the PSL." he added.

Cajoling the franchises to invest more capital into the product will be the major and most crucial step for the PCB if they want to make the auction process a reality.

Raja said that the franchisees need to spend money if they want to improve. He also claimed that he has had interactions with a couple of franchise owners, and they are on the same page as him.

"Every side's purse will increase, and if they want to improve they'll have to spend money. When you go from a draft system to this, the world's talent suddenly becomes available to you. I've spoken to a couple of the franchise owners; they're quite happy to experiment with this. I'll talk to the others, too. It's in the embryonic stages, but it's top of my wish list."

He signed off by stating that PSL will likely move to a home and away concept and will be played at more than two venues from the forthcoming seasons.

"We want home-and-away on a home and away basis from next year. The gate money will be excellent, and we want to elevate the concept of the PSL," he concluded.