KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and owners of all eight Pakistan Super League franchises are considering moving the next edition of the tournament to January from the April-May window used in the last two seasons.
The proposal was discussed at a PSL governing council meeting in London on September 1. Reports said the idea was put forward by Walee Technologies, the league’s media rights holder, which believes the later April-May window offers limited advertising opportunities.
The period comes after Ramazan, when many companies have already allocated or spent a significant portion of their annual marketing and television advertising budgets.
Walee holds the PSL’s broadcast and digital rights in Pakistan until 2029 and also held the international media rights for the 2026 season. The company is also the owner of Rawalpindiz, one of the two new franchises introduced this year.
The franchise owners, however, raised concerns over whether they would continue to receive their full share of broadcast revenue if the tournament is shifted. Under the existing agreement, the eight teams receive 95 per cent of broadcast income from the central revenue pool.
Concerns were also raised over advertising returns after the performance of television rights fell short of earlier expectations.
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The first nine PSL editions, held between 2016 and 2024, were staged mainly in February and March. The tournament was moved to April-May for the last two seasons because of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025 and the T20 World Cup in 2026, which also forced the PSL to overlap with the Indian Premier League.
A January window could create another challenge as it would coincide with Australia’s Big Bash League and South Africa’s SA20, potentially affecting the availability of overseas players from both countries.
One proposal discussed at the meeting was to begin the tournament in Karachi, where winter temperatures are relatively moderate, before moving matches to Punjab and Peshawar as temperatures rise.
Pakistan’s current international cricket calendar also offers a potential window from mid-November to March. There are no scheduled series after the national team hosts Sri Lanka and England and before New Zealand’s arrival for a two-Test series.
The governing council also discussed plans to expand the PSL beyond the main tournament, including possible involvement in esports and a separate mid-year event under the existing rights agreements.
No final decision has been announced on shifting the PSL to January.
