The PSL will abandon the draft system it has employed since its founding ten years ago in favour of an auction-based recruitment league. It was decided that a total makeover was necessary following months of ambiguity and conflict between the league and the franchises over how to best bolster player rosters.
Before deciding on a total revamp, the PCB had previously experimented with the idea of a draft or even a system between a draft and auction that they named a “drauction”. “Enhancing competitive balance, increasing transparency, and providing players’ greater earning opportunities” was the stated goal of the action, according to a PCB official statement.
The laws governing player retention have also undergone considerable modifications. Up until now, each of the six teams was allowed to keep up to eight players from the previous campaign. The addition of two new teams, Hyderabad and Sialkot, made that unfeasible. At Friday’s general council meeting, disputes erupted between the newcomers, who wanted to draw from a better pool of players, and some of the current teams, who wanted to retain the majority of their best players.
The PSL has attempted to reach a compromise on this issue.
Only one retention per category is permitted, and the number of retentions has been cut in half to four. For instance, if the Lahore Qalandars wanted to retain both Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, who have only ever played for them, this would only be feasible if neither player was listed in the top Platinum category or the same category overall. Only one player would be allowed in the Platinum Category due to the four retentions; the same is true for the Diamond, Gold, and Silver Categories. The positions of the players within the categories have not yet been revealed.
Hyderabad and Sialkot will have access to the unselected players who subsequently fall into the open pool. Each franchise is permitted to sign four players prior to the start of the auction in order to align themselves with the current four teams. It is yet unclear if those players would be chosen through a “draft” system in which each team selects players one at a time.
The value of team purses has been increased to USD 1.6 million from the previous USD 1.1 million, and each team will be permitted to directly sign one player outside of the auction system. Only players who did not play in the PSL the previous season are eligible for direct signings.
The modifications are the most significant adjustments to the player recruitment process in the organization’s history. The significantly lowered recruitment regulations will result in the most player migration between teams the league has ever witnessed. The final settlement has been delayed in part because of opposition to some of these adjustments in previous discussions between PCB officials and the parties.
Both the date of the sale and Multan Sultans’ ownership structure are still up in the air. After former owner Ali Tareen decided not to extend his lease, the PCB first declared it would manage the team this season. However, after Hyderabad and Sialkot’s selling prices significantly surpassed projections, the PCB decided to put the franchise up for auction. Technical proposals must be submitted by January 30th.
India
