LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday announced sweeping changes to the player acquisition mechanism for the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League, replacing the long-running draft with a full-fledged auction and raising the player purse to $1.6 million per franchise in a move aimed at restoring competitive balance in an expanded eight-team tournament.

The decision follows the induction of two new franchises, Sialkot and Hyderabad, earlier this month, a development that had sparked concerns among the new owners about an uneven playing field because the existing six teams enjoyed extensive retention rights.

With no players to retain, the newcomers had argued they would be at a clear disadvantage unless the system was overhauled.

Under the new framework, each franchise will be allowed to retain a maximum of four players, with no more than one from each category.

The concepts of mentors, brand ambassadors and the right-to-match (RTM) option have been scrapped altogether. Previously, teams could retain up to eight players — and effectively a ninth through RTM — giving established sides a significant head start.

In a press release, the PCB said the shift to an auction after a decade of the draft system was intended to “enhance competitive balance, increase transparency and provide players greater earning opportunities”.

All released players will form a common pool for the auction. The two new teams will be permitted to pick and retain up to four players from this pool before the auction, subject to mutual agreement between player and franchise.

Any such signings will be treated as retentions and their salaries will be deducted from the team’s overall purse, a mechanism similar to the one used when Multan Sultans joined the league in its third season.

A clarification issued after the announcement said there would be no carry-over of last year’s categories, with fresh categories to be determined and announced by the PSL, and teams having no say in the categorisation of local players.

Each franchise will also be allowed one direct signing of a foreign player who did not feature in the previous season, giving teams an additional avenue to bolster their squads with new international talent.

The PCB also confirmed that the salary cap has been increased from $1.4m to $1.6m per team, a move it said underlined the league’s commitment to rewarding performance and attracting elite domestic and overseas cricketers.

“These progressive measures reflect the league’s strategic trajectory and evolution, while remaining firmly rooted in its mission to promote cricketing excellence and fan engagement,” the board said.

PSL 11 will begin on March 26, and will also mark the return of Faisalabad as a host city, expanding the league’s footprint beyond the existing venues of Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi.

Further details of the auction process and schedule are to be announced in due course.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2026