Pakistan Super League Expansion: New Cities on the Horizon

The Pakistan Cricket Board is offering bidders a choice of six cities for two new teams in the PSL. The league's franchise fees have been independently evaluated and increased. The sale process for these teams will conclude next month, although the 11th edition's schedule remains undecided.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced six cities for potential bidders interested in securing the rights to two new teams for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) over the next decade.

In a meeting with PSL CEO Salman Naseer and current franchise representatives, the PCB is allowing bids from the cities of Hyderabad, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Muzaffarabad, Gilgit, and Rawalpindi.

The process to issue tenders for the new teams is set to begin in the coming days, with the expectation to wrap up ownership rights sales by next month. An independent audit has evaluated the franchises and recommended higher annual fees for existing teams, with Multan Sultans noted as the priciest at USD 6.35 million annually. Despite these developments, the scheduling of the PSL's 11th edition remains unresolved, as it could coincide with the Indian Premier League between March and May next year.

(With inputs from agencies.)