In a landmark shift for the competition, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is officially abandoning the draft system that has defined its player recruitment for the past decade in favor of a new auction-based model. This total structural renovation comes after several months of debate and friction between the league’s franchises and its governing body regarding the most effective method for building team rosters.
Before landing on this total overhaul, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) briefly considered various alternatives, including a hybrid system nicknamed the “drauction.” Ultimately, the PCB issued an official statement explaining that the transition is designed to “enhancing competitive balance, increasing transparency, and providing players’ greater earning opportunities.”
Major Shifts in Retention Guidelines
Add Zee News as a Preferred Source
The update also introduces a drastic reduction in player retention allowances. Under the previous rules, the six original teams could keep as many as eight players from their prior rosters. However, the addition of two expansion franchises, Sialkot and Hyderabad, made that system unsustainable. During a general council meeting on Friday, tensions flared between established teams wanting to protect their star talent and the new entries seeking access to a premium talent pool.
To resolve this, the PSL has implemented a compromise. Retention limits have been cut by 50 percent, allowing teams to keep only four players. Furthermore, franchises are restricted to just one retention per salary tier. For instance, if the Lahore Qalandars wanted to retain both Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi, they could only do so if the players were in different categories. Under these rules, a team can only protect one player from the Platinum tier, one from Diamond, one from Gold, and one from Silver. The specific category placements for the upcoming season have yet to be publicized.
Integration of New Franchises
Players who are not retained will enter an open pool. The expansion teams, Sialkot and Hyderabad, will be granted the opportunity to sign four players from this pool prior to the start of the auction. This ensures that the new teams begin the process on equal footing with the existing franchises. It remains unclear if these initial signings for the new teams will be conducted through a traditional turn-based draft format.
Financial Growth and Direct Signings
For the first time, each franchise will be permitted one “direct signing” outside of the auction environment. This option is reserved exclusively for players who did not compete in the PSL during the preceding season. To support these changes, the salary cap for each team has been significantly increased to USD 1.6 million, a sharp rise from the previous limit of approximately USD 1.1 million.
The Road Ahead
These reforms signal the most radical shift in the league’s history, likely resulting in the highest level of player movement between teams since the PSL began. While resistance from certain franchises delayed the final resolution, the league is now moving forward with the plan.
The specific date for the inaugural auction is still pending. Additionally, the future of the Multan Sultans remains a focal point. While the PCB originally planned to manage the team themselves after Ali Tareen declined a lease renewal, the record-breaking sale prices of Sialkot and Hyderabad prompted the board to put the Sultans up for auction instead. Technical bids for the franchise must be submitted by January 30.
