Pakistan Super League teams seek lower player salary purse amid rising costs

LAHORE: Some franchises of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) have asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to reduce the base player salary purse, arguing that the existing amount is too high, sources told Dawn on Monday.

The proposal was raised at the latest PSL Council meeting, which was held in London last week under the chairmanship of PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

According to sources, however, the PCB chairman did not respond to the request during the meeting.

After the first 10 editions of the league, the PCB increased the base player salary purse to $1.6 million per franchise under the auction system, equivalent to around Rs450 million.

The purse can be extended to $1.8m, or around Rs505m, to facilitate the direct signing of one eligible foreign player who did not participate in the previous season.

Under the current salary structure, top or elite players can be signed for up to $150,000, while players in the second tier command $80,000. The third tier carries a purse of $40,000, while players in the fourth tier can earn $21,500.

The demand for a reduction in the purse comes after three franchises — two new entrants, Hydera­bad and Rawalpindi, and existing side Multan Sultans — were sold this year for substantial sums.

Hyderabad were sold for Rs1.75 billion, Rawal­pindi for Rs1.85bn and Multan Sultans for Rs1.08bn.

The existing owners of the other five franchises subsequently reacquired their teams at considerably lower prices.

Sources said the new franchise owners were facing greater difficulty in meeting their expenditure commitments compared to the owners of the established teams.

The financial concerns are not limited to the franchises, however, with the PCB itself also facing issues over outstanding payments.

According to sources, some stakeholders of the league are yet to clear their arrears with the PCB, adding to the financial pressures surrounding the league.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2026