PSL Franchises agree on players’ auction

For the first time in the history of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), a player auction will be held. In a meeting held yesterday with CEO Salman Naseer, most of the franchises agreed to the auction format. Once approved by the PCB Chairman, it will be implemented.

On Sunday, a workshop will be organized to brief the team owners about the auction procedures. Meanwhile, all five of the original franchises have demanded to retain four players each, including their brand ambassadors. The new teams, however, have asked for zero retentions. A final decision on this matter will also be made by the Chairman.

It is worth mentioning that during the PSL Governing Council meeting on Friday, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi had tried to convince the team owners to adopt the open auction model, emphasizing that it would be greatly beneficial for the players.

Earlier, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has proposed that franchises adopt an open auction formula, and the matter will be further discussed in the Governing Council meeting scheduled for Saturday.

According to details, a meeting of the PSL Governing Council was held on Friday, with the owners of the two new teams also in attendance. Sources said that members agreed to begin the 11th edition on March 26, although March 23 had previously been proposed as the opening date.

The most important topic in the meeting was whether to continue with the draft system or switch to an auction. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi tried to convince team owners to adopt the open auction formula, emphasizing that it would greatly benefit the players. Some owners appeared to agree, while others preferred to keep the draft system. Discussions on this matter will continue on Saturday.

Further deliberations were also held regarding player retention. Under the current system, each team can retain up to eight players, but with the addition of two new teams, that may no longer be feasible. Therefore, the PCB has proposed that each team retain three players. However, the new franchises prefer zero retentions, while the older teams are in favor of five.

In the most recent meeting, representatives of six franchises participated online, while two attended in person.