In arguably the biggest development related to the players, fans, and broadcasters, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the new date for the third edition of the PSL, which will clash with the Indian Premier League (IPL) next year.
Allegations claim that the PCB has stated that this new PSL may be scheduled to be held between April 10 and May 25 of the next year, which will be right in the middle of the IPL that took place between March 22 and May 26 this year.
The PSL was normally scheduled for February and March; however, the tournament has been shifted because of the need to have a tri-series with Pakistan, the Champions Trophy next year, and the West Indies tour.
This rescheduling is important so that the league does not interfere with these major international obligations, implying that interference with the IPL is inevitable.
The two most participated T20 leagues in the world could have their seasons at the same time, which would split the audiences and sponsorship deals, posing a major problem for both leagues.
Apart from making the new PSL dates public, it has also been claimed that the PCB has documented quite a drastic change in the monthly retainers of domestic cricketers. The new landscape will mean that players will be selected for three new elite competitions, known as the Champions tournaments, which will have five teams.
This has been done to boost the players’ financial prospects and improve the standards of domestic cricket. This new remunerational hierarchy includes promotion to 150 new players, categorized in three different levels. The highest-paid players earn PKR 550,000 monthly under domestic contracts for the 2023/24 season, representing quite an improvement of the national players’ contracts for the next season.
This conflict in schedules between the PSL and IPL would have dire effects, and the cricket boards and stakeholders involved will have to work out how to overcome this in order to see their premier T20 leagues grow and expand in the right manner.
