The seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has entered the business end as four teams will battle it out in the PSL play-offs to get their hands on the coveted PSL trophy. While the tournament has been a massive success so far, the lack of superstars from across the world has in some way hampered the progress of the league.
There is no doubt whatsoever that PSL is one of the top franchise T20 tournaments in the world with top-quality cricket, broadcasting, production, innovation, and fanfare. While PSL is already a world-class league, there is always room for improvement. One such way to improve the standard of the league is to implement an auction model instead of the draft model.
PSL, in its seven seasons, has deployed a draft model where franchises pick players on the basis of categories. The model has so far been successful and has been beneficial for the franchises involved in the tournament but the standard of the league has taken a hit. The way to enhance the quality of the league even further is through shifting to an auction model.
What is an Auction Model?
Each of the six franchises gets a fixed budget to buy players they want for their franchise. According to the auction rules of IPL, teams have the option of not spending their whole budget but they are required to spend at least 75% of their budget.
Players from across the world register in the auction at a base price. Players can set their own base price for the auction. The bid for a player cannot go below their base price while there is no upper limit for the bid.
Each franchise is required to pick a minimum number of players in the squad. Generally, the minimum number of players in a squad is 18 while a maximum of 25 players can be picked. At least 4 foreign players are required to be picked in the squad as according to PSL rules, a minimum of 4 foreign players should be in a playing XI.
The franchise with the highest bid acquires the services of the player.
Let’s have a look at the reasons why PSL should go for an auction in PSL 2023:
Attract Top Stars
While the number of international players taking part in the league has gradually increased, there are a few international superstars who have not shown interest in PSL yet.
Players such as Jos Buttler, David Warner, Kagiso Rabada, Mitchell Starc, Ben Stokes, Pat Cummins, Quinton de Kock, Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Anrich Nortje, and many more are world-class cricketers who have not participated in the league so far. Such players will not only be beneficial for the league, but it would also bring a lot of benefits for the franchises, the players, and the fans.
Implementing an auction model will help in attracting such superstars as they will be offered more money as compared to a draft model. Franchises will jump in to buy the players in accordance with their team budget while deserving players will be bought at more than their base price.
No Restrictions According to Categories
According to the draft model, the players are divided into separate categories and the franchises are required to pick a set number of players in each category. Each team will have an option to buy as many star players as they want in the auction model. This means that one franchise could potentially have a starting line-up consisting of Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Rashid Khan, Mitchell Starc, etc.
This will all depend on the franchise as to how much do they want to spend on each player and formulate their own squad within a set budget. As there will be no restrictions on the number or type of players each team can have, the potential to form star-studded squads and/or distribution of star players among various franchises will enhance the quality of competition.
An auction will certainly attract more fans than a draft as fans will keenly follow which players their franchises will bid on. The event itself will garner a lot of attention and could provide an opportunity for the league and the franchises to build their fan following even further.
This will also provide the opportunity for the PCB to come up with innovative ideas in order engage more fans on a yearly basis. The interest of the fans in the auction will also provide an opportunity to PCB/PSL management to get more sponsorships and hence increased revenues.
Change Lives of Upcoming Players
We have witnessed the lives of numerous youngsters changing in an instant after being picked in the Indian Premier League (IPL). There have been several instances where a player gets sold out for a lot more than his base price.
Relatively unknown Indian players, Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Chakaravarthy were sold for USD 1,123,775 in the 2019 IPL auction. While Platinum category players in PSL are worth USD 170,000.
There is unlimited talent in Pakistan as well and the youngsters are waiting for an opportunity to shine. This will provide an opportunity for the PSL franchises to scout some talented players from across the country and play their part in providing them with an opportunity at the biggest stage.
The auction model will bring the best think-tanks from around the world on one platform. This will also enable more competition between the franchises as they will look to build the best possible squads. The focus of the franchises will be solely on winning the PSL trophy in order to earn more money. Earning more money will enhance their financial strength and they can go all out in the auction rather than saving their money.
It will be a win-win for franchises, PSL, PCB, the players and the fans as every team will look give their all to build a formidable squad.
Source: Pro Pakistani