The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is keen to organise the players’ draft for the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) before the home series against West Indies, a source privy to the matter told Business Recorder on Tuesday.
Pakistan is set to host West Indies for three T20s and as many ODIs between December 13 and 22. All matches are scheduled to take place at Karachi’s National Stadium.
"The cricket board is working out a slot for the draft and hopes to hold it in the second week of December," the source said, adding that the draft would take place in Lahore.
The source also refuted media reports that suggest the start of the seventh edition could face a delay due to a lag in players’ registration for the tournament.
PSL 7 to take place in January-February: PCB
“No proposal regarding the delay in PSL 7 is under consideration, and the tournament will go as scheduled,” the source said, ending uncertainty over whether the schedule would need to be modified due to the unavailability of players.
The PCB had earlier confirmed that the marquee tournament will start late in January 2022, instead of its conventional slot of February-March due to the expected home series against Australia during the same period.
However, media reports had suggested that the start of the seventh edition of PSL could be delayed as the PSL management is facing difficulties in the registration of players.
PCB announces schedule for West Indies tour, all matches to be held in Karachi
“The PSL’s management is facing difficulties in players’ registration as most of the players will be busy in a foreign league on the dates proposed for the PSL-7 draft. The league could be delayed for a few days,” a media outlet had said quoting PCB sources.
Note that the draft for PSL 7 was earlier expected to take place in the first week of December, which could now be postponed by another week.
To a question, the source said that the players’ salary cap had not been increased this year, however, the cricket board could [financially] assist franchises to rope in big names, like it did in the inaugural edition.
According to the source, the PCB has decided to start the tournament in Karachi in late January and move it to Lahore in February. Karachi and Lahore are expected to host 17 matches each with the playoffs and the final at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.