PSL auction to feature record 50 Bangladeshi players

PNN News Desk, Dhaka 

The upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) tournament is not only expanding in scale but also changing the long-standing structure of the competition. Along with an increase in teams and matches, for the first time, players will be selected through an auction system rather than the draft method.

The auction is scheduled for February 11, and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has released the list of registered players, which includes 879 cricketers, both local and foreign. Among them, 50 are from Bangladesh, marking the highest participation from a single country in PSL history.

According to PCB, the highest base price is set at 42 million Pakistani Rupees. While 31 players fall into this category, none are from Bangladesh. The highest base price for Bangladeshi players is 22 million Pakistani Rupees (approximately 1 crore Bangladeshi Taka), which includes Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Zakir Hasan. Their experience, international achievements, and brand value have been considered.

Additionally, 22 Bangladeshi players have registered with a base price of 11 million PKR, including Liton Das, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Taskin Ahmed, Shariful Islam, Rishad Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, and Parvez Hossain Emon, among others.

The remaining 25 Bangladeshi players have a base price of 6 million PKR. Notable names include Afif Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Akbar Ali, Naeem Sheikh, Alis Al Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Sheikh Mehedi, and Shamim Patwari.

Only Mustafizur Rahman has been included in a direct contract outside the auction, joining Lahore Qalandars for 64.4 million PKR.

The new auction system, increased scale, and record Bangladeshi participation make this PSL season a landmark event, providing significant opportunities for the country’s players.