“The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced further details regarding player compensation, teams, and the auction procedure for PSL Season 11.
On Sunday, a PSL workshop was organized at the Pakistan Cricket Board headquarters, Gaddafi Stadium, which was attended by Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan cricket team players, and franchise representatives.
According to the press release issued by the PCB after the event, four categories have once again been established for the player auction in the PSL.
The base salary for the first category is set at PKR 4.2 crore, the second at PKR 2.2 crore, the third at PKR 1.1 crore, and the fourth category at PKR 60 lakh.
While players were paid in US dollars during the first 10 seasons of the PSL, they will be compensated in Pakistani Rupees this time. The auction ceremony will take place on February 11.”
“According to the PCB, during the auction, if a player’s bidding starts at PKR 4.2 crore, the franchise must increase the bid by a minimum of PKR 15 lakh with each subsequent call.
Similarly, for a player with a base price of PKR 2.2 crore, the bid must be increased by PKR 5 lakh each time, while for a cricketer in the PKR 1.1 crore bracket, the minimum increment for a bid will be PKR 2.5 lakh.
Each squad will consist of a minimum of 16 and a maximum of 20 players. Depending on the size of the squad, the number of foreign players will range from five to seven.”
“For franchises, it will be mandatory to include at least three and a maximum of four foreign players in the Playing XI.
Teams must include at least two Under-23 players in their squad, and one of them must be part of the Playing XI.
The total salary budget for each franchise will be a minimum of PKR 45 crore and a maximum of PKR 50.5 crore.”
PSL Auction Model
The Pakistan Super League (PSL) management has introduced several new changes to the auction model for Season 11 this year, launching a player auction system for the first time on the pattern of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
In the 10 seasons of the Pakistan Super League played so far, players were selected through a player draft system. However, now a base price will be set for players, and they will be auctioned just like in the IPL.
Last week, the PCB stated in its press release: “The Pakistan Super League has announced a historic development ahead of its 11th edition, reinforcing its commitment to the league’s continuous growth, competitiveness, and innovation.”
The statement noted that the player auction model is being introduced to replace the traditional player draft system. The aim of this shift is to enhance competitive balance and transparency and to provide players with greater earning opportunities.
The new season of the PSL is set to begin on March 26 this year. Following the recent addition of two new teams, a total of eight teams will now compete for the title.
In the bidding held earlier this month on January 8, the Pakistan Super League sold the Sialkot and Hyderabad teams for a combined total of PKR 3.6 billion.
New Details from the PSL 11 Workshop (Jan 2026):
- The New Names: The Sialkot franchise has officially been named the Sialkot Stallionz, while the Hyderabad team is owned by the US-based FKS Group.
- Auction Date: The historic player auction is scheduled to take place on February 11, 2026.
- Draft Rules Abolished: Previous rules regarding Brand Ambassadors, Mentors, and “Right to Match” (RTM) cards have been completely removed for this season to ensure a fresh start for all 8 teams.
- New Venue: Faisalabad has been added as a host city, joining Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi.
“What is new in the PSL’s new model?
In the new PSL auction model, several changes have been introduced by the franchises concerning players, mentors, and brand ambassadors.
Under the new model, each franchise can retain a maximum of four players, whereas the old model allowed for eight retentions. These four players will be placed in the Platinum, Diamond, Gold, and Silver categories.
The rules for mentors, brand ambassadors, and the ‘Right to Match’ (RTM) have been abolished. Under the previous clauses, a player in any category could be designated as a brand ambassador or mentor to receive additional payments.
The newly added teams will be permitted to select and retain four players from the available player pool before the general player auction begins.
Each franchise will also be allowed to directly sign one foreign player who was not part of PSL 10. This will provide teams the opportunity to strengthen their squads while introducing new international talent to the league.
According to the Pakistan Cricket Board, the compensation amount for these direct foreign signings will be determined by the PCB itself.”
“To make the league more competitive, the total salary budget for a franchise has been increased from $1.1 million to $1.6 million.
The PSL management states that this will provide an opportunity to attract new foreign players.
It is worth noting that critics have been complaining in recent years that major T20 players have not come to the Pakistan Super League, preferring to be part of the IPL instead.
However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) claims that this new model will enable big-name foreign players to become part of the PSL.
According to the PSL administration, Faisalabad has been included as a new venue for league matches in PSL 11.
The Pakistan Cricket Board states that details regarding the auction process, schedule, and other operational matters will be released soon.”
‘Better late than never’
Social media is also reacting to the new PSL auction model. While some users are welcoming the move, others still consider it insufficient.
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif says that bringing the PSL into an auction format is a positive development. “The most important aspect is the clause that has abolished the regulations concerning brand ambassadors and the ‘Right to Match’ (RTM).”
According to him, in the past, some teams kept their Platinum players in the Gold category, and some Platinum players were designated as mentors or brand ambassadors. This affected the balance of the teams and disadvantaged others. “This is perhaps the best decision made by the Pakistan Cricket Board in the last five years,” he added.
Under the ‘Right to Match’ regulation, if a franchise released a player, they could reclaim him by matching the highest successful bid made for that player. However, this clause has now been scrapped.
“It is nearly impossible for a major announcement regarding the Pakistan Super League to occur without Ali Tareen, the former owner of Multan Sultans, sharing his thoughts. Commenting on the matter on X, Ali Tareen wrote: ‘Player Auction—this truly marks the beginning of a new era for the PSL.‘
A user named Junaid Ahmed wrote: ‘The PSL model is a good step… but the total player budget of $1.6 million (45 crore PKR) for an entire franchise is still very low. In the IPL, a single player earns 25 crore Indian rupees, which is more than the entire budget of a PSL team.’
Another user, Saleem Abbas Janjua, noted that the Pakistan Super League is finally in a position to compete with other leagues. The auction will serve as an attraction to bring big names into the PSL.
Muhammad Sanaullah expressed that while he supports the auction, it won’t be very exciting because the budget for a single team is only $1.6 million; he believes the budget should have been at least $3 million.
While some users are welcoming the decision to hold PSL matches in Faisalabad, others are unhappy about the exclusion of Peshawar.”
