PSL Team Owners Push PCB to Cut Player Salary Budget

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise owners have urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to decrease the base player salary budget, arguing that the current amount is excessively high. This plea was made during the most recent PSL Council meeting held in London last week, which was presided over by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

However, Naqvi did not agree to the request during the session. Following the league’s first ten seasons, the PCB increased the base salary purse to $1.6 million per franchise (approximately Rs. 450 million) under the auction system. This amount can be extended to $1.8 million to sign a single eligible foreign player who missed the previous season.

Under the present system, elite players can earn up to $150,000, while second-tier players can receive $80,000, third-tier players can earn $40,000, and fourth-tier players can earn $21,500. The request for a reduction in the player salary budget follows the sale of three franchises this year, the entrance of new teams Hyderabad (Rs.

1.75 billion) and Rawalpindi (Rs. 1.85 billion), and the reacquisition of the existing Multan Sultans team at significantly lower prices by their new owners. The remaining five owners find themselves struggling more with costs due to their lower acquisition prices. Additionally, the PCB is grappling with outstanding payment problems from certain league stakeholders.