On Wednesday, PSL 11 player auction opened in the Expo Centre in Lahore, and it was the first change in the history of the tournament. This will be the first instance when the teams will obtain the players via an auction rather than by the previous draft. This novel idea added spice and surprise to the topmost T20 league in Pakistan.
Franchises are ready to pay top talent, and the Pakistani all-rounders were in the limelight. The most discussed player was Faheem Ashraf, which the Islamabad United bought at Rs85 million. The high bid was warranted by his performance in the recent domestic and international matches. The fans and analysts now have their eyes on him to ensure that he reinforces the Islamabad united team.
Meanwhile, a number of other prominent Pakistani all-rounders that were not given any bids included Imad Wasim, Mohammad Junaid, Mehdi Hassan Miraz, Hussain Talat, Asif Afridi, Danish Aziz and Mohammad Zeeshan. This came as a shock to most people, given that these players have demonstrated potential last season. Analysts opine that teams are possibly targeting specialists or other good performing foreign players this year.
The other significant update was that of the Multan Sultans franchise. The team will have new names under new owners: Rawalpindi. Thus, this rebranding introduces new dynamism and anticipations of the new edition of the PSL season. Also, supporters of the team are looking forward to the way the new management would form the team and the results they would create in the tournament.
Plus, the player auction of PSL 11 shows the rising competitiveness of the league. Teams are planning and trying to balance the star players with the up and coming talent. The bid game is full of suspense and fans are involved to the end which makes each bid a vital one.
