The player draft for PSL 2019 will need franchises to keep several factors in mind. Here is a quick explainer.
How is this draft different from the previous one?
Last year, the teams could retain only a certain number of players in each category since it was an expansion year. But this year, all teams have been given the option to retain up to 10 players across any category they want, subject to the overall category restriction, which is three players in Platinum, three in Diamond, three in Gold, five in Silver, and two in Emerging.
The retention window this year closed on November 13, with Islamabad United retaining ten players, so they can pick six more from the draft. Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Peshawar Zalmi and 'The Sixth Team' retained eight players each and can pick another eight on draft day. Quetta Gladiators will pick seven more to add to their nine retained players. Each of the six teams has an optional round to pick another four players from the Supplement category.
How many players will be available for picking in the draft?
A total of 663 foreign and local players are part of the Diamond, Gold, Silver and Emerging rosters for teams to pick their player at the draft.
What is the value of each category?
Platinum (US $570,000): Teams can have a maximum three players with no more than two local or foreigners. The base price $160,000 and the maximum for one player is $250,000.
Diamond (US $270,000): Teams can have a maximum of three players and the base price starts from $80,000. The maximum one player can get $100,000.
Gold (US $180,000): Teams can have a maximum of three players, with base price $50,000. The maximum a team can pay a player is $70,000.
Silver (US $140,000): Teams can have five players with the base price being $24,000. The maximum for one player is $40,000.
Emerging (US $25,000): Two players can be in a side with prices of $12,000 and $13,000 respectively.
Supplement (US $175,000): This category doesn't have a maximum and minimum payroll. It's an additional round, allowing teams to pick extra players as backup. They can pick a maximum of four players from the purse of $175,000. All foreign supplementary round picks will be active members of the squad. All local supplementary round picks may be confirmed as active players at the discretion of the team.
What is the "Sixth Team"?
The PCB recently terminated the eight-year ownership rights of Multan Sultans after the franchise failed to pay their annual fee of US $5.2 million. The PCB repossessed the ownership rights and are reselling the rights before the start of next year's PSL. Pending further updates, the team shall be referred to as 'The Sixth Team' of the PSL.
The new rights holder will have the option of choosing the sixth franchise city and name. The board took complete responsibility of all player and coach contracts, and will handover the operation to the new rights holders.
How many foreign and local players can a team have in its 16-man squad?
Franchises must pick at least one foreign and one local player in Platinum, meaning they can have two foreigners and one local player or vice versa. But at the conclusion of the Gold round, each team must have four foreign players and four local ones before going into the Silver round. In total, each 16-man squad can have a maximum of five foreign players only. In the Supplementary round, each team can pick up up to two foreign players, to bring their roster up to seven players at the maximum.
What is the draft sequence this year?
The formula that the PSL management and franchises have agreed upon is the reverse order of the previous year's standings. Islamabad United are the title holders and on top of the table, so they will be the last to pick a player in every round. Lahore Qalandars - who finished last in the 2018 season - will have first pick in each round. The Sixth Team will be second, Quetta Gladiators will be third, Karachi Kings fourth and Peshawar Zalmi will be fifth.
Every team has retained players in every category. What will they do at the draft?
Teams will first pick new players where applicable in a particular category. So if a team had retained three Platinum players, they can skip their turn in the Platinum round. This will be the same for every category. If a team has retained two Diamond category players going into the draft, that team will use its first pick in the Diamond category to select a new player. The retentions will be counted against the remaining picks in that category.
Who traded whom before the draft?
Lahore Qalandars traded Umar Akmal and Sunil Narine to Quetta Gladiators, in exchange for spinner Hassan Khan and fast bowler Rahat Ali. This trade also meant Gladiators gave up their Platinum pick to Qalandars in the first round. Both Gladiators and Qalandars also swapped their second-round picks in the Silver category.
The Sixth Team, formally Multan Sultans, sold Sohail Tanvir to Quetta Gladiators for a Diamond-round pick, and bought Mohammad Junaid in exchange for getting the second pick in the Emerging Category.
How can a player be an Ambassador for a team?
Each team can have one Ambassador, given additional ambassadorial responsibilities. Teams are allowed to have one player in the squad in a lower category than designated one to prevent 'underhand' deals. An Ambassador can be appointed at the time of retentions, or after a player has been picked at the draft.
What is the role of a mentor?
A player can be eligible for a mentor's role if he has captained his national team and has either announced retirement from international cricket, or been inactive in the national team set-up for at least one year. The role was instituted for players like Brendon McCullum, Kumar Sangakkara, Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq. This nomination allows teams to not spend their Platinum picks on players close to retirement.
A player mentor can be relegated by a maximum of one category if designated at the time of retentions. If he is picked in the draft, he cannot be relegated and appointed mentor.