Written by: Waseem Abbas
Posted on: May 21, 2025 | 
| 中文
Team captains pose for a group photo. (L to R)_ Shaheen Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Babar Azam, Salman Naseer (CEO PSL), Hasan Ali, Muhammad Rizwan and Shadab Khan
Owner of Multan Sultans, Ali Khan Tareen, expressed his disappointment over the management of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), lamenting the lack of concrete efforts to elevate PSL into a major global brand. He stated that franchises are incurring financial losses due to a decline in fan interest and criticized the fact that international premium players no longer prefer the PSL. With the rise of T20 leagues around the world, top-tier players now have a plethora of opportunities, leaving leagues like PSL at a disadvantage.
Ali Khan Tareen, the owner of Multan Sultans
In the first five to six seasons of the PSL, the excitement among cricket fans was on the rise as the league blossomed. However, in the past four to five years, its popularity has begun to decline. Among the many reasons for this decline are the management’s rigid approach of hosting matches only in a few major cities and the use of a draft system instead of player auctions.
The PSL has struggled to attract big-name players in recent years, especially those in high demand in the IPL. One of the key reasons is the draft system, in which the PCB assigns players to fixed categories (Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver and Emerging) with predetermined salaries. Top-tier players in the PSL (in Platinum, the highest paying category) can earn up to $170,000 USD, which is significantly lower than the payouts in leagues like the IPL, SA20, ILT20 and BBL for premium cricketers. If the PSL were to introduce an auction system, it would allow teams to spend large sums on international stars and help build their brand. With the current salary cap, only players overlooked by the IPL or other top leagues end up participating. Relying on leftovers is not the path to greatness.
Decade of HBL PSL
This year, the PSL schedule clashes with the IPL, further diminishing the chances of attracting top T20 talent. All the players currently active in the PSL are those not selected for the IPL, and had they been selected; they would have certainly chosen it over the PSL. If the PSL aims to compete at a global level, it must restructure its financial model to attract elite players, those who choose the PSL not out of compulsion, but preference. These marquee international players will only consider PSL if they are offered salaries comparable to those of the IPL.
One of the main talking points for PSL management and franchise owners has been the League’s role in nurturing emerging talent by giving young players a platform to showcase their skills. While this is not entirely untrue, there remains substantial room for improvement. According to current rules, each team must include at least one emerging player in the playing XI. A player qualifies for this category if he is under 23 at the start of the competition, has not played for Pakistan and participated in fewer than 10 PSL matches.
Ali Raza is one of the best emerging players active in this year's PSL.
While this policy aims to create opportunities for young talent, it has often backfired. Teams filled with international stars and seasoned domestic players in the Diamond, Silver and Gold categories, frequently bench promising players who no longer meet the emerging criteria. For instance, Jehandad Khan and Zaman Khan emerged as breakout players for Lahore Qalandars, but after graduating from the Emerging category, they have struggled to find a spot in the team. Jehandad recently played for Pakistan in a T20 series, while Zaman has multiple international appearances. Both have bright futures in T20Is, yet were dropped to make room for younger players under the emerging quota.
Similarly, Multan Sultans' Faysal Akram, arguably one of the best Chinaman spinners in the country and a national player, spent the entire season on the bench. Though the team played several emerging players, Faysal didn’t make the XI. Quetta Gladiators benched Haseebullah and Khawaja Nafay, both promising cricketers, due to an overloaded top order. Nafay stood out last season, while Haseebullah, already with international experience, is a strong contender for the national wicket-keeper slot. Yet neither played a game. Omair Bin Yousuf, frequently traveling with the Pakistan T20 team, only got one appearance for Karachi Kings in PSL 10.
Khawaja Nafay in PSL 2024
This raises a crucial question: Is the emerging category rule helping or hindering young talent? While some quota-based players like Ali Raza, Muhammad Naeem, Maaz Sadaqat and Ubaid Shah have shown promise, many others appear underprepared. Meanwhile, those who proved themselves in the emerging category and graduated to the next level now find limited opportunities. A reasonable solution would be to relax the rule: raising the age limit to 25, increasing the PSL match limit to 20, and allowing up to 10 international games for eligibility. Alternatively, the rule could require teams to field emerging players in only five matches (half of the first round). If those players perform well, they can retain their spot; if not, the team can try other emerging players.
Ubaid Shah and Ali Raza, two breakout emerging stars of PSL 2025
So far, Pakistan has confined the PSL to just four venues: Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Multan, even as fan interest dwindles in these cities, particularly Karachi. A more practical approach to boosting attendance and fostering a cricket culture would be to spread the tournament across more cities, including Peshawar, Quetta, Hyderabad, Abbottabad and others. Hosting matches in these regions would not only draw larger local crowds but also serve as an inspiration to the youth, as seeing legends play live can ignite a passion for cricket in smaller cities.
The Pakistan Super League stands at a crossroads. With thoughtful reforms in its player acquisition model, talent development structure and venue strategy, it has the potential to reclaim its place as one of the premier T20 leagues in the world. Without such changes, however, the league risks becoming increasingly irrelevant in an already saturated T20 landscape.
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