KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will pay an additional sum of $100,000 to six high-profile foreign players in the HBL Pakistan Super League franchisees for making themselves available for the upcoming edition for the event, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported on Sunday.

According to PTI, the PCB agreed to shell out the money from a special fund which has now grown to $1 million.

During the PSL draft, the PCB had set a maximum base price salary of $200,000 to franchises for each overseas player.

“David Warner, for example came onboard for a fee of $300,000 and $100,000 of this will be paid to him by the PCB from the special fund,” the PTI quoted a PSL official as saying.

The official explained that a few years ago, the PSL governing council decided that when the central pool’s net broadcast revenue reached Rs3 billion, $500,000 would be allocated annually for elite players’ salaries.

He said last year the additional amount was not utilised and the amount has increased to $1 million.

“The PCB will use this fund to assist in paying some of the elite players who signed on during the players draft,” the official said.

Number of overseas players who went unsold in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction were signed on by franchises for the 10th edition of the PSL including Warner, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson, Finn Allen, Matthew Short, Sean Abbot, Nahid Rana, Liton Das, Micheal Bracewell, Russie van der Dussen and Corbin Bosch among others.

This is the first time that the PSL is being held in the same window as the IPL and both leagues will clash in their latter stages. The PSL will be held from around April 17 to May 22 while the IPL runs from March 21 to end of May.

Previously the highest paid players in the PSL were Kieron Pollard ($250,000) and AB de Villiers ($230,000).

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2025