Pakistan Super League to employ NFL-like draft system for player recruitment

Young domestic players in line to earn up to $20,000 during the 21-day tournament.

KARACHI: After reports emerged that several international stars are interested in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), The Express Tribune has learnt that a draft system will be used for player recruitment rather than the auctions deployed by the Indian Premier League.

There is also some good news for local players as they are likely to earn big during the 21-day event that will start from February 4. Young domestic players, placed in the emerging category, are in line to earn between $15,000 and $20,000 when they line up for the five franchises in Doha, Qatar.

A total of 70 international players from nine Test-playing countries and 17 international coaches — several boasting impressive World Cup and T20 league pedigree — will be shortlisted soon.

In the opening edition, each side will feature 12 Pakistan players and four foreign ones.

Players to be picked through a draft system

The players signing up for the first PSL edition in Doha would be bought by the franchises through a draft process for player induction; similar to what is in place in American National Football League (NFL).

The draft system was introduced in the NFL in 1936 and has been successfully deployed as an alternate to auctioning players.

Players will be divided across five categories — Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Emerging. A ballot will decide which team gets to pick the first player, with a specific number of players up for grabs from each category.

The player auction system has never been implemented in Pakistan and in an effort to keep a check on the spending; the much safer and balanced draft system is being used.

Bangladesh, SL leagues highlight pitfalls

The PSL team — under the chairmanship of PCB executive committee head Najam Sethi and seasoned banker Salman Sarwar Butt — has vowed to deliver ‘the biggest and most exciting product in Pakistan’s history’.

Their detractors though are not yet convinced. In recent years, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka both dabbled in T20 leagues of their own but failed to sustain the tournaments due to inept management and financial corruption.

The opening edition of the PSL thus has a lot to prove, especially in terms of the viability of such an event in Pakistani economics.

A successful PSL can revolutionise sports in Pakistan; the series is set to introduce the franchise system to investors in the country. For at least the first version, the franchises have been told their spending on playing and coaching staff cannot exceed $1 million.

The franchises have also been offered a share out of PCB’s revenue streams. This includes money from broadcasting rights, sponsorship rights, shirt sales, and ticket sales. Additionally, each franchise will have the option of selling its own sponsorship rights including shirt logos.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6^th, 2015.

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