PSL to be held in January to avoid clash with IPL

The PCB and the owners of eight franchises have discussed a proposal to hold the PSL in January-February next year to avoid conflict with the Indian Premier League (IPL) schedule.

The issue was raised at the PSL board meeting in London on September 1. PSL's broadcast and digital rights holder, Wali Technologies, proposed hosting the event in January.

Their argument is that the PSL is held in April-May, after Ramadan. That is when many organizations spend a large portion of their marketing and television advertising budgets.

As a result, it is difficult to get the expected income from advertising. Moreover, the IPL also runs from March to May. 

However, franchisees are not without concerns. They want to know whether the money they receive from broadcasting rights will be completely guaranteed even if the times change.

Under the current agreement, eight franchises receive 95 percent of the central revenue fund's broadcasting revenue. From 2016 to 2024, the PSL was held in February-March. It was shifted to April-May due to the Champions Trophy in 2025 and the T20 World Cup in 2026. 

If the PSL is held in January-February next year, it will avoid a scheduling conflict with the IPL. In that case, the PSL will have to compete with Australia's Big Bash League and South Africa's SA20 to get foreign cricketers.

The proposal has been made to start the tournament in Karachi, Sindh province, then move on to Punjab and Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.