Highest-paid cricketers of PSL 2024 including Afridi, Rizwan and Babar

Ninth edition of T20 league will take place in February

Lahore Qalandars' Shaheen Afridi has been a revelation in PSL. AFP

The new year is set for a hectic start with a number of international series and T20 leagues jostling for breathing space.

Pakistan’s tour of Australia, India’s tour of South Africa, West Indies tour of Australia, and England’s tour of India will be just a few of the big international matches to start the year.

Simultaneously, T20 leagues will be running alongside, as the window for non-IPL tournaments is limited.

The International League T20 starts in the UAE on January 19 and a few weeks later, the Pakistan Super League will kick off in February. The Big Bash League in Australia will end in between – January 24.

With so many avenues available, cricketers now pick and choose when and where to play. Many are opting out of central contracts to get the best deals possible at international and franchise tournaments.

With cricket fixtures piling on top of each other, the challenge is to attract the top talent. And the best way to do that is through financial incentives.

The Pakistan Super League is not as cash rich as its Indian counterpart – well, no tournament is – but it is trying to get the best players possible.

Below is the list of the top earners at the 2024 edition of the PSL. It must be noted that the PSL follows a draft system, where the exact salary of player is not known since they are picked according to slabs, which can vary according to the star value of the cricketer.

The Platinum category is the top tier. Players there can earn anything between $130,000 and $170,000.

Highest-paid crickets of PSL 2024

Shaheen Afridi (Lahore Qalandars): up to $170,000*

Mohammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans): $170,000

Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi): $170,000

Shadab Khan (Islamabad United): $170,000

Rovman Powell (Peshawar Zalmi): $170,000

Naseem Shah (Islamabad United): $170,000

Rilee Rossouw (Quetta Gladiators): $170,000

Fakhar Zaman (Lahore Qalandars): $170,000

Iftikhar Ahmed (Multan Sultans): $170,000

Kieron Pollard (Karachi Kings): $170,000

Rassie van der Dussen (Lahore Qalandars): $170,000

Jordan Cox (Islamabad United): $170,000

David Willey (Multan Sultans): $170,000

Daniel Sams (Karachi Kings): $170,000

Mohammad Nawaz (Karachi Kings): $170,000

Sherfane Rutherford (Quetta Gladiators): $170,000

Mohammad Amir (Quetta Gladiators): $170,000

Noor Ahmad (Peshawar Zalmi): $170,000

Schedule

The ninth season of PSL is scheduled to take place from around the second week of February.

There is a lot of uncertainty around cricket administration in Pakistan, as it is being run by an interim administration. PCB chief Zaka Ashraf has been told that he can only run the day-to-day affairs of the board and major contracts and decisions need to be ratified by higher authorities. A broadcast deal is still not in place for PSL 2024. Also, general elections will be held in Pakistan in February, hence the lack of clarity.