Proposal of sixth team in PSL 2017 turned down

Five franchises looking to expand fan base, obtain return on investment

The proposal to add a sixth team in the second edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has been scrapped as the idea was collectively turned down on Tuesday.

"The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the owners of the five PSL franchise met in Lahore and discussed the possibility of adding a sixth team in the 2017 edition," sources privy to the development said. Kashmir was primed to be the sixth franchise had the proposal gone though.

However, the franchises argued against the inclusion of a sixth team saying that they want to grow their fan base and want more time to obtain returns on their investment. Thus, it was decided that the second edition will be conducted with five teams on board again.

Franchises also collectively turned down the offer of sponsoring regional teams made to them by the PCB, since the consensus is to consolidate PSL first.

BREAKING: No 6th team in @thePSLt20 2017 edition!
Decision made today. Franchises not convinced.

— Emmad Hameed (@Emmad81) May 17, 2016

Earlier, PSL chairman Najam Sethi had said that the addition of Kashmir as the sixth team in the second edition of the event may face a few hurdles.

“We will not have [a new team] until the third year; that is written,” Sethi had told ESPNcricinfo. “But at the same time we are looking at the financials about the addition of a sixth team, in terms of whether it will be Kashmir, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gilgit-Baltistan or any other team. That decision is pending. We have to weigh the pros and cons and that’s the issue right now but we cannot have it until all franchises agree. Without their consent we can’t make it [happen].”

In the inaugural edition, five teams namely Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Quetta and Peshawar participated and were given a written security by the PCB that a sixth team will not be added until the third edition.

The disagreement might have come from franchises because of the potential cut in their share from the central revenue pool. Sethi had said that he was trying to convince the five franchises who received 70% of the revenue from the inaugural edition.

Sethi has also delved into details about the monetary aspects of the first edition and confirmed that each franchise’s spending cap will be increased by 10% from the first edition when it was US$1.2m. He also said they spent extra from their estimated budget but still managed to generate profit.