With the 10th season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) nearing, teams are working around the clock to confirm their rosters, mainly checking on foreign players’ availability. With two days remaining for the league to start again, most teams have yet to finish filling out their rosters.
Franchises Working Day and Night to Ensure Full Squads
PSL franchises are racing against the clock to finalize their foreign player lineups. Even after continuous efforts, there are some teams that have not yet finalized their teams. Teams have been proactively in touch with players and agents to get confirmation of participation once the league is restarted.
PCB in Talks with Multiple Cricket Boards
To streamline player availability, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reached out to several cricket boards—such as those in Australia, New Zealand, and England—requesting No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to clear their players for participation.
These boards have been assured by officials that the environment in Pakistan is now secure, referring to recent ceasefire news to negate any security issues.
Replacement Draft Postponed Owing to Scheduling Conflict
The PSL replacement draft was initially meant to be held earlier this week. It was, however, rescheduled because of scheduling issues among the franchise representatives. Instead of a combined draft session, PCB officials made phone calls to each of the franchises one by one in the order of their picks to collect player choices.
Choices were predominantly made from existing rosters of players, depending on availability at the moment. Discussion had already been initiated with substitute players by some franchises prior to the suspension of the league.
Teams Start Arriving in Rawalpindi
With preparations gaining momentum, teams began arriving in Rawalpindi on Wednesday night. Training commences today with most foreign players planned to arrive by Friday.
This stringent schedule adds additional pressure on teams to switch fast and gear up for future games with their new or returning team players.
Financial Burden Rises on Franchises
The sudden pause in the PSL season has hugely mounted financial pressure on franchises. Hotel stays in Dubai, return fares from abroad for international players, and last-minute ticket bookings have all led to increased costs.
With time running out, business class fares to return foreign players to Pakistan are turning out to be very expensive. Franchises have approached the PCB to split the cost of these increasing fares. The board has agreed in principle to pay for one-way airfares for players, though a final word is yet to come.
What’s Next?
With squads coming in and preparations kicking off, everyone now awaits whether franchises are able to present full-strength teams on time. The comeback of international marquee players will be crucial in reviving fans’ enthusiasm and upholding the PSL’s international image.
With the countdown going on, the PSL community wishes for a seamless resumption and a thrilling finish to the league’s milestone 10th season.
