It is the season of T20 leagues and the next big franchise bandwagon gearing up to enthral fans is the Pakistan Super League.
January saw the start of two high-profile tournaments – the International League T20 and the South Africa T20 tournament called the SA20. The Big Bash League in Australia is also ongoing, as is the Bangladesh Premier League. In short, there is franchise cricket happening everywhere.
Next month, it’s the turn of Pakistan to turn on their T20 charm. Their hugely successful PSL returns on February 13, with 2022 finalists Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans clashing in the opener in Multan.
Last year, Lahore defeated Multan by 42 runs at home to lift the PSL title, marking the rise of fast bowler and team captain Shaheen Afridi as the premier cricketer in the country.
This year, some of the top names in franchise cricket will once again travel to Pakistan to fight for the top prize.
The top players in the PSL get picked through a draft, which means there is a cap on how much they can earn. The Platinum category is the top tier where players can earn up to $170,000 with a base price of $130,000.
Highest paid cricketers at PSL 2023
Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi): up to $170,000*
Shaheen Afridi (Lahore Qalandars): $170,000
Mohammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans): $170,000
Shadab Khan (Islamabad United): $170,000
Sam Billings (Lahore Qalandars): $170,000
Tymal Mills (Islamabad United): $170,000
Haider Ali (Karachi Kings): $170,000
Matthew Wade (Karachi Kings): $170,000
Imran Tahir (Karachi Kings): $170,000
Fakhar Zaman (Lahore Qalandars): $170,000
Izharulhaq Naveed (Multan Sultans): $170,000
Gus Atkinson (Islamabad United): $170,000
Josh Little (Multan Sultans): $170,000
Bhanuka Rajapaksa (Peshawar Zalmi): $170,000
Richard Gleeson (Peshawar Zalmi): $170,000
Mohammad Nawaz (Quetta Gladiators): $170,000
Naseem Shah (Quetta Gladiators): $170,000
*All platinum category players receive a salary within the range of $130,000 to $170,000.
Note: Platinum category players like Wanindu Hasaranga, Rovman Powell, David Miller, Alex Hales, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rashid Khan are only partially available for the tournament and will be paid on pro rata basis.
Tournament dates
The 2023 PSL begins on February 13 and the final will be held on March 19, with a total of 34 matches to be played.
Venues
Matches will be played in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan.
PSL 2022 Team of the Tournament
