Pakistan Super League approves player auction model for season 11

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Super League’s governing council has approved a major structural overhaul for the league’s 11th season, replacing the long-standing player draft with a full-scale player auction model. This move marks the most significant reform in the PSL’s history, signalling a decisive shift in its commercial and competitive direction.

The Pakistan Cricket Board said the transition to an auction system, to be implemented from HBL PSL 11, is aimed at enhancing transparency, strengthening competitive balance and significantly expanding earning opportunities for players, as the league enters its second decade.

Under the new framework, franchises will be allowed to retain only four players, with a maximum of one retention per category — a sharp reduction from the previous system that allowed up to eight retentions, alongside mentors, brand ambassadors and a Right to Match (RTM) option. All such provisions have now been scrapped.

The overhaul fundamentally reshapes squad-building dynamics, forcing franchises to re-enter the market and bid competitively for top talent, rather than relying on long-term protections built into the draft system.

Newly inducted teams will be permitted to pre-select and retain four players from the available pool before the auction, giving them a base to build competitive squads. In addition, each franchise will be allowed one direct signing of a foreign player who did not feature in PSL 10, opening the door for fresh international names and strategic recruitment.

Franchises' salary purse increased to $1.6M

In another major decision with long-term financial implications, the governing council has approved an increase in the player salary purse to $1.6 million per franchise, reinforcing the PSL’s ambition to position itself as a more lucrative and globally attractive league for elite domestic and overseas cricketers.

The PCB said the reforms reflect the league’s evolving commercial maturity and its intent to align more closely with global franchise models, while maintaining its core objective of promoting high-quality cricket and fan engagement.

HBL PSL 11 is scheduled to begin on 26 March 2026, with Faisalabad added as an additional host venue, marking the city’s return to top-tier cricket and expanding the league’s national footprint.

Further details regarding the player auction mechanism, timelines and operational guidelines are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

The move to an auction system is widely seen as a watershed moment for the PSL — one that could redefine franchise valuations, reshape competitive balance and alter the league’s economic landscape ahead of its second decade.