The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to discuss the idea of adding new teams in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) during a governing council meeting next month, according to a report by ESPNcricinfo.
Six teams are currently part of the PSL, which includes Lahore Qalandars, Islamabad United, Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators, Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings.
“The PCB has not taken the matter [additional teams] up with franchises formally or informally yet but ESPNcricinfo understands that the issue is likely to be on the agenda of the PSL governing council meeting next month,” the report stated.
However, the current financial model doesn’t allow additional teams till the 10th season of the event.
“The PCB agrees that it shall not introduce a new franchise team in the PSL under the same financial model contained herein, before the tenth edition of the Tournament has concluded, whereafter the PCB may include new franchise team(s) to participate in the PSL from time to time at its sole discretion," reads the new clause 2.12 of the agreement signed in 2021.
Earlier this year in February, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee, Najam Sethi, had stated that the teams in the PSL can easily be increased to 10 due to high demand.
"There is immense pressure to increase the number of teams in PSL, but unfortunately Ehsan Mani and Ramiz Raja made an agreement with the franchises that only six teams will play in the next two years. However, it was an eight-team project. We have to convince the franchises to include two more teams. No one will lose anything, and if a franchise suffers a loss, the PCB will take responsibility. But there is a high demand to include two more teams, and it will be more successful with many people showing interest to be part of it. Let me tell you, even if there were 10 teams now, all of them would be sold due to the high demand," Sethi said.
Nafisa Kamal, owner of Comilla Victorians in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), is also interested in buying a team in the PSL.
According to Bangladeshi reporter Fahim Rahman, Nafisa is among the people interested in securing one of the franchises in the PSL.