PSL hopes to resume within the week in Pakistan itself but will have to deal with overseas player availability.
PSL hopes to resume later this week in Pakistan
With the PCB hoping to host the remaining games in Pakistan, the PSL is probably going to resume later this week. There are eight games remaining in the league, which was postponed because of escalating cross-border tensions with India. The PCB and a number of franchises are keen to wrap up the season as soon as possible.
On Monday, the PSL met with the franchises to go over precise dates and locations. The availability of foreign players, many of whom are unlikely to return, is the most urgent problem. Squads may also be impacted by the asymmetry of player availability, since certain teams are more certain than others that foreign players will return.
The PCB is rumoured to be thinking about a replacement draft to make up the numbers in order to lessen that. Although there are concerns about the calibre of players available for such a draft—the most sought-after players were already in the PSL or the IPL—it is perhaps an essential step to fill the voids. With the broadcasting teams’ contracts expiring on May 18, the day of the league’s final, the production logistics will also need to be worked out.
Several stakeholders at the franchises spoke to stated that the decisions forced upon the PCB by the extreme volatility of the time leading up to the league’s suspension had made it tough to bring back foreign players for the rest of the season. At one point, as tensions between India and Pakistan increased, the PSL considered three distinct solutions in a single day.
The six teams’ ten-year leases will expire at the end of PSL 2025, and they are subject to renewal and renegotiation. The present owners have the right of first refusal, and a number of them have expressed a desire to buy teams permanently rather than on rolling long-term contracts.
Bangladesh’s trip to Pakistan is also anticipated to be impacted by the PSL continuing into the final ten days of May. With the first two T20Is to be played in Faisalabad and the final three to be played in Lahore, Bangladesh was scheduled to arrive on May 21 and begin play on May 25. According to the BCB, there are “active and ongoing discussions” regarding the tour.