PSL Draft Rules – All you Need to Know
As the Pakistan Super League’s much anticipated draft approaches, fans eagerly await this crucial event, full of excitement and anticipation. Everyone loves PSL, and we’re no exception. The draft process, which we all watch every year with great enthusiasm, is very complex and scientific. This Year the PSL Draft will be announced on the 11th January.
Fans often wonder why their favorite team picked a certain player or why another player wasn’t selected instead. But behind these decisions lies a well-thought-out process with strict rules and a significant strategy.
In this Blog, I’ll explain all the science and rules behind the PSL 10 draft. We’ll cover everything:
- The number of picks each team gets.
- What each player category represents.
- The new features are introduced in this draft.
- Types of trades between teams.
- How a player’s category can be downgraded and the rules for doing so.
- How successful drafts are planned and executed?
- How requests and approvals for mid-season trades are handled.
- The role of talent hunt programs.
- Details about the mid season trading window.
Pre Draft Preparations
This crucial phase sets the stage for the draft. Key activities include:
Local Player List Announcement
Players who did not participate in the previous PSL season are announced.
Player Categorization
The Chief Selector assigns each local player to a category (e.g., Emerging, Talent Hunt Program players).
Category Review
Franchise teams collaborate to evaluate player performance and decide on category upgrades or downgrades, finalized by PCB management.
Foreign Player Registration
Foreign players register in specific categories (Platinum, Diamond, etc.), sometimes with conditions. The PCB approves and releases the foreign players’ list.
Draft Pick Order Announcement
A random software process determines the draft pick order.
Retention and Trade Window
Teams can retain up to eight players (excluding replacement picks) and engage in various trades.
Draft Day
Draft day is the culmination of the pre-draft preparations. Teams finalize their squads based on the pick order and their strategic objectives.
PSL Draft Breakdown – Player Categories and Selection
Each team starts with eight retained players and can select a maximum of 18 players (minimum 16). The draft comprises five main categories:
Platinum Category
- Teams must select three players (at least one local and one foreign).
- Combinations can be adjusted (e.g., two locals and one foreign, or vice versa).
- If two Platinum players are already retained, only one more can be picked.
Diamond Category
Similar rules apply as in the Platinum category regarding the number of picks and local/foreign player mix.
Gold Category
- Three more picks are made.
- By the end of the Gold category picks, each team must have selected at least three foreign players.
Silver Category
- Teams add five players, bringing the total to 14.
- These picks cannot exceed the number of players retained up to the Diamond category.
Emerging Category
Teams select two players, focusing on new talent.
Supplementary Category
- Teams can pick zero, one, or two players (if two, one must be local).
- If an Emerging player is picked here, the team can have three Emerging players total.
Additional Rules
- In the Supplementary category, two foreign players cannot be picked together.
- Each squad must have at least two Emerging players, with at least one in the playing XI.
Foreign Player Rules
- Maximum six foreign players per team.
- Minimum five foreign players per team.
- At least three and a maximum of four foreign players can be in the playing XI.
Special Draft Features
Wild Card Pick
- Allows a team to upgrade a player from a lower category to a higher one.
- Each team gets one Wild Card Pick.
Right to Match
- Allows a team to reclaim a released player picked by another team in the same category.
- The reclaiming team loses a pick, while the other team gains one.
PSL Player Trades
Trades involve exchanging players or draft picks between franchises during the Trade and Retention Window and the Mid-Season Trade Window.
Types of Trades
There are 11 types of trades, involving various combinations of players, draft picks, and money (see original article for detailed list).
Trade Budget
The maximum trade budget is 12 million Pakistani Rupees.
Mid Season Trade Window
- Opens after each team plays four matches (72-hour window).
- Only players who haven’t played can be traded.
- Each team can make up to two trades.
- Squad size must remain the same after trades.
Emerging Category Detailed Rules
- Players must be part of Pakistan’s domestic circuit.
- Must be under 23 years old as of January 1st of the PSL year.
- Players who have represented Pakistan’s national team are ineligible.
Emerging Player Nomination
- Each franchise can nominate up to three new Emerging Players.
- Nominated players are reserved for that franchise.
- If two franchises nominate the same player, the player chooses. If they decline both, they re-enter the draft.
Talent Hunt Discovery Program
Players from talent hunt programs (e.g., Lahore Qalandars Player Development Academy) are eligible, even if over 23.
Talent Hunt Nomination Rules
- Each team can nominate up to two players.
- One must be selected in the Supplementary Round.
- Compensation aligns with the Emerging Category.
- Players enter as Emerging but cannot remain in this category for consecutive seasons.
Category Downgrade Rules
Teams can downgrade player categories for strategic and budgetary reasons.
Methods for Downgrading
Successful Relegation Request
Requires player agreement and approval from all other franchises (or a bidding process if objections arise).
Ambassador Role
Appointing a retained player as an ambassador (during the trade/retention window or at retention time). Salary is deducted from the draft budget.
Mentor Role
Appointing a retained player as a mentor (must meet specific criteria). The mentor’s fee is paid separately and doesn’t impact the draft budget.
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Category Downgrade Rules
Teams can downgrade player categories for strategic and budgetary reasons. This section explains the process in detail.
Methods for Downgrading a Player’s Category
There are three primary methods for downgrading a player’s category in the PSL draft:
Successful Relegation Request
This is the most common method.
Appointing an Ambassador
This is done during the trade/retention window or at the time of retention.
Designating a Mentor
This also applies to retained players and has specific eligibility criteria.
The Relegation Request Process
This section details how teams can formally request a player’s category downgrade.
Player Agreement
The most crucial first step is obtaining the player’s consent. If the player does not agree to the downgrade, the request is automatically rejected. Example: If a team wants to downgrade Kamran Akmal from Platinum to Diamond, Kamran must agree to be placed in the Diamond category.
Submission to PCB
Once the player agrees, the team submits a formal relegation request to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Franchise Notification and Approval
The PSL management informs all other franchises about the request.
Unanimous Approval
If all other franchises agree and raise no objections, the request is approved, and the player’s category is downgraded.
Objection by One Franchise
If even one franchise objects, the request is denied. Example: If Karachi Kings requests to downgrade Usman Shinwari from Diamond to Gold, but Lahore Qalandars objects, Karachi Kings must either retain Usman in Diamond or release him. If released, Lahore Qalandars has the first right to retain him in Diamond.
Multiple Objections and Silent Bidding
If multiple franchises object, the process becomes more complex.
Silent Bids
PSL management calls for silent bids from the objecting teams.
Minimum Bid
A minimum bid amount is set based on the player’s current category ceiling.
Winning Bid
The team with the highest bid wins the player at the downgraded category.
Tie-Breaker
If bids are equal, a coin toss determines the winner.
Downgrading via Ambassador Role
- This method can only be used during the trade and retention window or at the time of retention, not during the draft itself.
- Ambassadors must be selected from retained players.
- The ambassador’s salary is deducted from the team’s total draft budget.
- The salary range for an ambassador falls between the ceiling of their current category and the floor of the next lower category.
Downgrading via Mentor Role
Mentors must also be selected from retained players, and only one mentor per team is allowed.
A mentor’s salary is not counted within the team’s salary cap.
Eligibility Criteria for Mentors
A player must meet at least one of the following.
- Have captained the national team.
- Have retired from international cricket.
- Have played 100 international matches.
If any of these conditions are met, the player can be designated as a mentor. The mentor’s fee is paid separately by the franchise and does not impact the draft budget.