The highly anticipated player auction for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 kicked off at the Expo Centre on Wednesday.
The event marks the first-ever auction in the history of the franchise league, replacing the draft system — the player selection process used during the first 10 editions since its inception in 2016.
The change in players’ selection model comes as the PSL gears up for an expansion with the addition of two new franchises – Sialkot Stallionz and Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen.
Consequently, a total of 879 local and foreign cricketers registered for the historic auction, who have been slotted into five different categories – Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver and Emerging –by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The eight teams will also be forming their squads by picking players of their choosing from the aforementioned categories, with a maximum purse amount set at $1.6 million.
However, contrary to the draft system, the auction model does not have a pick order, meaning the franchises can openly engage in a bidding war for a player.
