Star players won’t be financial burden

KARACHI:

The inclusion of key foreign stars in the HBL PSL will not burden the franchise owners financially. The PCB will pay $100,000 per player from allocated funds.

Before the draft, the cricket board shared a list of foreign stars with franchises, with special notes mentioned for some players.

David Warner’s minimum fee was set at $300,000, and Karachi Kings selected him, making him the most expensive cricketer in HBL PSL history. However, the franchise will not have to pay the entire $300,000.

A few years ago, the HBL PSL governing council decided that when the central pool’s net broadcast revenue reached 3 billion rupees, $500,000 would be allocated annually for elite players’ salaries.

Last year, this wasn’t needed, but now the amount has increased to $1 million. The PCB will use this fund to assist in paying players like David Warner and Daryl Mitchell.

A maximum of $100,000 can be paid for each player from this fund. Thus, Karachi Kings will only pay $200,000 for Warner

Daryl Mitchell’s minimum fee was set at $200,000, and Lahore Qalandars acquired his services.

Previously, the maximum fee for a player in the HBL PSL was $170,000, though AB de Villiers and Kieron Pollard were paid $250,000 and $230,000, respectively.

The PCB wanted to increase fees to attract big players to the league, but scheduling conflicts with the IPL caused challenges.

In a statement, Mitchell thanked Lahore Qalandars for selecting him for the upcoming season and shared his enthusiasm for participating in the tournament. “I’m grateful to Lahore Qalandars for picking me for the upcoming season of PSL, and I’m really excited to play in the event,” he said.

Mitchell further mentioned his eagerness to meet the passionate fans of Lahore and Pakistan. “I look forward to meeting the fans in Lahore and across Pakistan. Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf are now on my team, so I won’t have to face them,” he added hilariously.