PCB declines the suggestion of PSL franchise owners to reduce the salary cap of players

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has declined the request made by the Pakistan Super League franchises to lessen the salary cap for the upcoming season of the tournament which is scheduled to be held in the early part of 2022. The seventh edition of the T20 league saw an increase in the salary cap for the players, which has been argued against by the owners. 

The PCB increased the salary cap to $1.2 million in comparison to $0.95 million, which was the number in the previous editions. This was one of the key decisions taken by the PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja, in a bid to increase player availability and get the top players into the league. However, the decision didn’t go down well with the franchises. 

According to a report on Cricket Pakistan, the owners are concerned. As a matter of fact, they have gone on to ask help from the PCB, in terms of mainly financial aid, in order to meet the hefty fees which they fear could be demanded by the ‘big names’. This is one of the things on which the owners are having disagreements with the governing board.

The players’ draft of PSL might happen in December

The report also alleged that there are several more things on which the two parties, the franchise owners and PCB officials, have not agreed upon. The decision to increase the salary cap for players was a suggestion of Ramiz Raja, who upon his appointment to the role of chairman wanted to see the best players from across the globe to play in the PSL. 

He has since been argued against by the owners. According to the same report, the franchise owners have requested the chairman to think about his decision once again. As per their suggestions, the league already offers a hefty payment to several players. In fact, they have argued that the PSL offers more money than any of the other leagues in the world. 

The franchise owners have in fact stated these to the chairman in a letter and asked him to consider keeping the salary cap confined to $0.95 million. They further stated that the aspiration of getting big players might not be what PSL should aim at this moment, given how other T20 leagues have also taken steps to make their recruitments better. The player draft will happen sometime in December, hence a decision on the whole matter could come before that.