The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a major overhaul of the Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) player acquisition system, replacing the decade-old draft mechanism with an auction model for the tournament’s 11th edition.
The change represents the most significant structural reform since the league’s inception in 2016.
Accoring to PCB, the auction system aims to create more balanced teams while offering players bigger earning opportunities through competitive bidding.
Under the new framework, franchises can retain a maximum of four players ahead of the auction, with restrictions limiting them to one player per category. This is a sharp reduction from the previous system, which allowed teams to retain eight players plus additional three options through mentors, brand ambassadors, and right-to-match provisions.
The board has eliminated all three of these options for HBL PSL 11, streamlining the retention process and opening up more players to the auction pool.
Two new franchises joining the league will receive special advantages to select and retain four players from the available pool before the auction begins.
Additionally, each team can sign one international player directly, provided that player did not participate in the 2025 edition.
The PCB has increased the salary purse to $1.6 million per franchise, reflecting the league’s growth and commitment to attracting top talent from Pakistan and abroad.
HBL PSL 11 will begin on March 26 and run through May 3, 2026. The tournament will expand its city reach by adding Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium as a venue for the first time, marking the city’s return to hosting top-tier cricket.
The board will announce further details about the auction process, schedule, and operational guidelines in the coming weeks.