The Pakistan Super League 2026 has suffered another setback because an experienced overseas player withdrew from the tournament. The defending champions Lahore Qalandars announced on February 2 that Namibia all-rounder David Wiese will not take part in the upcoming season because of personal commitments.

Wiese has been a central figure in Lahore Qalandars’ journey over the years because he has been associated with the franchise since 2019. The veteran all-rounder played a key role in the team’s most successful period which saw him win the PSL trophy three times in 2022 2023 and 2025.

David Wiese withdraws from PSL 2026

Wiese announced his news through social media when he explained that he withdrew because of unexpected events and vital family obligations. The 40-year-old player who has an emotional connection with the Qalandars told fans that he intends to come back to the team next year. He also confirmed that he would remain a supporter of the team while watching PSL 2026 from a distance.

The Lahore Qalandars management fully supported Wiese’s choice. Sameen Rana the franchise owner recognized Wiese’s extended service to the team because he helped develop younger athletes while competing on the field.

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Gutted to be missing out on the PSL this year due to some family commitments. Will really miss being with my LQ family, but will continue cheering them on from home.

This isn’t a permanent goodbye to PSL though! I’ll be back.#QalandarDilSe pic.twitter.com/6QYsWUVx1d

— David Wiese (@David_Wiese) February 2, 2026

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International players keep withdrawing from the PSL 2026 competition

Wiese's withdrawal from the competition marks another addition to the increasing roster of absent international players for this season. England batter Harry Brook recently withdrew from the tournament, while former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis was ruled out after suffering a thumb ligament injury during SA20 2026. Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has also reportedly pulled out, choosing to prioritise fitness ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

A look at Wiese’s PSL legacy

Wiese’s absence will be a significant blow for Lahore. He played 54 PSL matches for the Qalandars where he scored 629 runs with a strike rate of 161.69 and took 38 wickets. He first appeared in PSL matches with Karachi Kings during 2018 before establishing himself as a key player for Lahore's championship-winning teams. The Lahore Qalandars must now adjust their overseas player strategy because PSL 2026 approaches and they lost one of their key players.

The former Australia captain, Tim Paine, who has been the assistant coach at the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League (BBL) and has led a Prime Minister’s XI against India and England in the last two winters, has joined a new side in the coaching position ahead of the 2026 season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which is going to begin on March 26. 

Paine was the captain of 23 Tests between 2018 and 2020, winning 11 and losing eight. He stepped down in November 2021 after an investigation into historical messages with a colleague and never played for the Australia side again. The wicket-keeper batter played state cricket in the 2022-23 season, before retiring at the end of the campaign.

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Pain has smashed an overall 1647 runs in 75 innings of the shortest format at an average of 22.87 and a strike rate of 122.27, with the help of 10 half-centuries at the best score of 91. His last competitive game came last year for the Australian champions against the Indian champions.

Tim Paine appointed Sialkot head coach in PSL 2026

Paine will have to build their squad from scratch at the PSL’s first auction on February 11 before leading the side in the new season. Sialkot is one of the two sides, alongside a Hyderabad-named franchise, for the upcoming edition. His appointment follows Jason Gillespie being named Hyderabad coach and Luke Rochi taking over at Islamabad United.

We’re proud to announce Tim Paine as the Head Coach of 𝑺𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒐𝒕 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒛.

Former Australian captain.
Proven leader at the highest level.
A championship mindset to lead a new era.

Welcome to the Stallionz family, Coach 🏏🔥#SialkotStallionz #PSL #HeadCoach… pic.twitter.com/TQoTuKSx8U

— Sialkot Stallionz (@PSLStallionz) January 29, 2026

Gillespie’s appointment comes two weeks out from the PSL auction. The appointment will be his first involvement in coaching in Pakistan since an acrimonious falling out with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), leading to him quitting as their red-ball coach days before the start of the Protea series.

“Vision clear. Direction locked. Entering a new era. Jason Gillespie takes charge as head coach of Hyderabad in the HBL PSL. Welcome to the family, coach.” The account for the Kingsmen Cricket, part of the ownership group of the Hyderabad franchise, has posted on X (formerly known as Twitter.

The former Pakistan all-rounder and captain, Shahid Afridi, has joined the Sialkot Stallionz in the first major off-field signing by appointing him as the mentor of the franchise. The decision is being widely viewed as a statement move by the newly formed Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise as it prepares for its debut season. 

The teams will be under pressure to make an immediate impact as the Pakistanplayer's inclusion adds instant credibility to this franchise’s setup. They are known for their aggressive mindset and leadership presence as the new mentor is expected to play a key role in the team culture building, layer motivation, and high-pressure decision-making.

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In terms of his PSL journey, Afridi joined a long and memorable PSL career spanning seven seasons, representing multiple franchises including Peshawar Zalmi, Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans, and Quetta Gladiators. He retired from playing in February 2022 due to a chronic back injury, but has remained one of the most influential figures in Pakistan’s cricket history.

Shahid Afridi joins Sialkot Stallionz as mentor ahead of PSL 2026 season

The announcement of the new mentor comes just one day after the franchise officially revealed its name as the identity was unveiled through a 3D animated video on X (formerly known as Twitter), reviving the iconic brand as a tribute to the legendary domestic T20 site that dominated Pakistan’s national T20 Cup during the 2000s.  

For the new season, the PSL will move to an auction-based recruitment league, eliminating its old draft system, which it used since its inception a decade ago. The PCB had previously toyed with the idea of a draft or even a system between a draft and auction, which they called a ‘drauction’ before settling on the debate.

Each side will also be allowed to sign one player directly before the new season, outside of the auction system, which raises the value of the team purchases to USD 1.6 million, up from above USD 1.1 million in the past, as the direct signings are only applicable for the players who did not participate in the PSL in the previous season.

Shoaib Malik, the former Pakistan captain, has made an official proclamation regarding his retirement from the Pakistan Super League which officially closes a decade-long saga of the players in the country's premier T20 competition.

A decade-long journey comes to an emotional close

Malik took to social media and shared his decision through an emotional post on X ahead of the league's eleventh season scheduled to take place in March. The veteran all-rounder looking back at his time in the PSL, said that he has “cherished every single moment and the friendship” of ten years as a player, expressing that it is now “time to call it a day.”

Having made his international debut for Pakistan in 1999, Malik was one of those players whose names were the most experienced ones to be in the PSL since its very beginning in 2016. He was the Karachi Kings captain in the league's first season and then went on to play for Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi, and Quetta Gladiators throughout his career.

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Over the course of ten PSL seasons Malik has been part of 93 matches and scored 2,350 runs with the average of 33.09 and the strike rate of 127.78, and in addition he also helped with the ball. His final matches were with Quetta Gladiators in PSL 10.

A new chapter begins as PSL enters a transformative era

Malik's retirement, happening at the same time as the league's major transition, is a fine example of the timing being just right. The Pakistan Cricket Board has given the green light to the inclusion of two new franchises, Sialkot and Hyderabad, and a complete move from the conventional drafting system to an auction model.

More importantly, it is anticipated that Malik will be working very closely with the PSL in a non-playing capacity. The new Sialkot franchise is situated in the very place where he was born, and he has already led the famous Sialkot Stallions during their dominant run in Pakistan's domestic circuit. He has not been officially appointed yet, but Malik has dropped hints about taking an off-field leadership role, which indicates a new phase of his long-term association with Pakistan cricket. Although he is no longer going to play in PSL, his legacy as a leader, competitor, and bridge between generations is firmly established.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced radical changes, which are one of the biggest structural changes in the league's history, just ahead of the 11th season of the Pakistan Super League.

The PSL, which has been operating under a player draft model for ten seasons, will now move to a player auction system, starting from PSL 11. The change is intended to increase transparency, make the competitive balance stronger, and also to provide the players with better earning opportunities.

Salman Naseer, the CEO of PSL, stated that the changes are indicative of the league’s desire to grow and keep up with the times as well as to be among the best T20 tournaments of the world. “The PSL will now migrate from a draft process to a players auction system which will no doubt increase transparency and also make the competitive balance of teams,” Naseer stated, further adding that the new model will also enable players to earn close to their actual market value.

Changes of retention rules, scrapping of old systems

One of the changes that has the most significant impact is the player retention rules modification. Each team will now be able to keep up to four players, and only one player will be allowed in each category.

This is a significant change from the previous years, when teams had the option to keep a maximum of eight players, hire mentors and brand ambassadors, and even use the Right to Match (RTM) option to retain a ninth player. For PSL 11, the PCB has completely done away with the mentor role, brand ambassador system, and RTM option, thereby making squad-building easier and quicker before the auction.

Enhancement for new teams and foreign players

In order to maintain the competitive balance, the new franchises will be allowed to select and keep four players from the available pool before the auction. This will be a big help for the new teams in that they will get a strong core staff before they enter the bidding.

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Moreover, each franchise can sign one foreign player directly who had not played in the previous season of PSL. This is expected to bring new international faces into the league and increase the interest of the spectators even more.

Player purse amount raised to USD 1.6 million

In addition to that, the PCB has raised the player salary fund to USD 1.6 million for every franchise, which was previously USD 1.3 million. The hike in the salary fund signifies the PSL’s decision to reward player performance and draw in the best domestic and foreign cricketers.

Faisalabad re-emerges as PSL venue

PSL 11 is slated to kick off on 26 March 2026, and the PCB has announced that Faisalabad would be included as an official venue. The addition brings the city back into the spotlight of elite cricket and increases the league's national reach.

With an auction-based system, large financial backs, easier rules, and new venues, PSL 11 is turning out to be a landmark season that could set a new trend in fashioning the teams as well as valuing the players in the T20 competition of Pakistan, the premier one.

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is considering a major change to its player signing process ahead of its 11th season in 2026. The league is discussing a new hybrid system that combines features of both a draft and an auction. This proposed model is being informally called a “Drauction.”

According to ESPNcricinfo, the idea is being explored as the PSL plans to expand with two new teams from Hyderabad and Sialkot. For the past ten seasons, the league has used only the draft system, where teams select players in a fixed order. However, the option of moving to an auction has gained attention this year and has led to wide discussion among team owners and officials.

The matter was discussed during a PSL Governing Council meeting on Friday, but no final decision was made. Some stakeholders support keeping the draft system, while others prefer a full auction model.

In a statement, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said league officials are hopeful of reaching a decision soon. A working group has also been formed to study player selection and retention rules in more detail and present recommendations.

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Franchises Meet to Discuss Player Recruitment Changes

The meeting was attended by representatives from all eight franchises, with the PCB representing Multan Sultans. The discussions were later paused to allow a newly formed working group to study the impact of different player recruitment systems in detail.

Player retention emerged as a major concern. Existing teams want to keep their core players, while the two new franchises are asking for fewer retention slots so they can access top players. No common ground has been found so far.

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PCB Statement and Next Steps

Sources say the new teams strongly support a full auction model, while most current franchises prefer to continue with the draft system. While PSL officials are allowing more time for talks, the final call will be taken by the league chairman.

In an official statement, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said several key issues were discussed, including the PSL schedule, player retention rules, the option of an auction, a hybrid model called “drauction,” and the possibility of direct player signings. The PCB also confirmed that the PSL will begin on Thursday, March 26, marking the start of a new phase for the league.

The meeting was adjourned after a working group was formed to review these matters further. The group will meet on Saturday, and the governing council meeting may be called again if required.

Uncertainty Over Multan Sultans Ownership

There is also uncertainty regarding the ownership of the Multan Sultans. After initially deciding to manage the franchise in-house following the exit of former owner Ali Tareen, the PCB has changed its stance. Following strong bids for the Hyderabad and Sialkot teams, the board has decided to put Multan Sultans up for auction. Interested parties have been asked to submit technical bids by the end of this month.

Bizarre scenes took place during Lahore Qalandar’s event ahead of the 2026 season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where the franchise’s captain, the left-arm pacer of the national side, Shaheen Shah Afridi, was present. It was one of the questions from Afridi, where he asked the fans whether they want the prime pacer of the side, Haris Rauf, in the next edition of the tournament. 

Quite shockingly, the fans denied the inclusion of the pacer as the video went viral on social media platforms. Haris Rauf has overall picked up 83 wickets for the Lahore franchise in seven seasons of the tournament, with 17 wickets coming in 12 innings at an average of 25.70, thanks to the best bowling figures of 4/31 in the last season.

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He has been excellent in the middle overs, making it hard for the batters to play his thunderbolt deliveries, with Afridi himself picking up wickets with the new ball inside the power play. Their partnership with the ball has brought several successes for the side in the last few seasons of the event.

Lahore Qalandars fans deny Haris Rauf’s inclusion ahead of PSL 2026

The question actually came from the left-handed opening batter of the side, Fakhar Zaman, who is also a successful campaigner for the team with close to 3000 runs in 97 innings at a strike rate of more than 140, thanks to two centuries and 23 half-centuries.

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The previous season of the tournament was his second successful campaign when he notched up 439 runs in 13 innings at an average of over 33 and a strike rate of more than 150, thanks to his four half-centuries at the best score of 76 runs.

In the previous season of the tournament, Lahore won the championship on the penultimate ball against the Quetta Gladiators at the Gaddafi Stadium by 6 wickets, where their number four batter, Kushal Perera, ended as the leading run-getter individually with 62 undefeated runs in 31 deliveries, thanks to his five boundaries and four sixes.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to put its franchise, Multan Sultans, up for auction ahead of the 11th season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which is set to begin on March 26. It tendered inviting bids for the franchise, which has been issued, with the interested parties asked to submit their proposals by the end of January.

The change of action from the board ends the brief notion of running Multan Sultans in-house this season, as the chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, expressed last. The reports have claimed that the proposal to auction the Sultans had the support of the senior officials of the board and the PSL.

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The tournament is understood to have buoyed by the high prices of the two new teams, Hyderabad and Sialkot, which were sold for a price of PKR 1.75 and PKR 1.85 billion, respectively. The sales took place at an auction, with the franchise fee nearly three times that of the Lahore Qalandars, the most valuable of the existing PSL teams.

PCB seeks bids for Multan Sultans’ auction before PSL 2026

Unlike the two new teams, Sultan is already an established PSL franchise and has taken part in eight seasons and won the title in 2021. However, the officials remain hopeful that the sale before the season would fetch the highest axing price of all. For the prime contenders, the eyes remain on the bidders for the other two teams in the bidding war.

Sultan’s previous owner, Ali Tareen, decided to walk away from the franchise at the end of last year, which resulted in the PCB’s search for the new buyer as Treen withdraw from the auction for one of the two new franchises as the last minute but promised to return when Sultans would be up for sale.  

The PSL has not yet announced a drop date for the squads, which can’t happen until Sultan’s new owner is in place. The addition of the two new teams has also led to disagreements around the process of how many players existing franchises should be able to retain ahead of the new season.

The former left-arm pacer of the Pakistan side, Wasim Akram, has stolen the show during the franchise auction of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He turned the high-stakes bidding war into a moment of levity with his trademark wit. Akram will conduct the auction and keep the atmosphere light even as the millions were at stake.

There was a point which stopped the hesitant bidder as the former captain quipped, “Balance toh khatam nahi ho gaya?” which drew laughter from those present. Several media users and the reporters later identified the bidder as representatives of Pakistan’s leading telecom service provider, who didn’t place any bid.

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The auction concluded with two successful bids, which expanded the PSL to eight teams. OZ Developers, a real estate consortium, secured the Sialkot franchise for a price of INR 1.85 billion, while the US-based FKS group won the Hyderabad team for a price of INR 1.57 billion. Overall, the two franchises fetched 12.75 million dollars, which is nearly INR 11.4 crores.

Wasim Akram makes funny comment on PSL 2026 auction

Akram made a grand presence at the auction, which came amid the recent debate sparked by his comments on the league durations. He spoke at the promotional event of the PSL as the former pacer praised the league’s shorter window and took a swipe at the longer tournaments.

“The best thing about the league is that it is played for only about 34-35 days, maybe a little more next year. It's not like three months, like the other league. Bacchey bade ho jate hain, woh league khatam hi nahi hoti. Foreign players, when they come to Pakistan, prefer to be here for 35-40 days. More than that - two-and-a-half to three months - is a bit too long for everyone. Even I get bored.” The left-arm pacer shed light.

“Prime example is the BBL. They started with two-and-a-half months. They realised after four or five years it wasn't working. Now their duration is about 40 days. That's it. That's the beauty of the PSL. Of course, the talent. Everybody overseas, when I talk to them, they talk about bowling in the IPL and other leagues. They say the PSL, as far as talent is concerned, is definitely No. 1 because we have quality, not quantity.” Akram added.

Ali Tareen, the former owner of Multan Sultans, has announced that he will withdraw from the auction for one of the two new franchises in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Tareen shared the update on X. He said that after careful thought, he and his family decided not to take part in the PSL franchise auction.

“After careful consideration, my family and I have decided not to participate in today’s PSL franchise auction,” Tareen wrote on X. “Our time with Multan Sultans was never just about owning a cricket team. It was about South Punjab.

“If I return to the PSL, it will be for the same reason. South Punjab is close to my heart. It is my home. When the Multanteam is sold again, we will be ready. I wish all the bidders the best,” he added.

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After careful consideration, my family and I have decided not to participate in today’s PSL franchise auction.

Our time with Multan Sultans was never just about owning a cricket team. It was about South Punjab. About giving a voice to a region that had been overlooked for too…

— Ali Khan Tareen (@aliktareen) January 8, 2026

Tareen’s Exit Leaves Nine Bidders in PSL Auction

Ali Tareen’s decision was made public after most of the other bidders had already reached the venue and spoken to the media. His late withdrawal reduced the competition to nine bidders for the two new PSL franchises.

The successful bidders were allowed to choose their team names from Faisalabad, Sialkot, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Gilgit, and Muzaffarabad. They could also select a city outside these six, but that option required an extra payment of around USD 1 million.

Multan Sultans, which Tareen left at the end of last year after a dispute with PSL management, will be run by the PCB this season. The franchise will be put up for sale after the tournament ends, and Tareen has already said he wants to buy it back.

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Hyderabad and Sialkot Join PSL as New Teams

Hyderabad and Sialkot have been confirmed as the seventh and eighth teams in the PSL. The auction saw bids go well beyond expectations.

FKS, a US-based aviation and healthcare group that also owns the Chicago Kingsmen, secured the Hyderabad franchise for PKR 1.75 billion (USD 6.2 million). Meanwhile, OZ Developers, a real estate consortium, won the Sialkot team with a bid of PKR 1.85 billion (USD 6.55 million). Both deals are the highest franchise fees in PSL history.

The bidding for the first team started at a base price of PKR 1.1 billion, which is the annual fee paid to the PCB for a 10-year ownership term. The amount quickly increased when FKS, led by CEO Fawad Sarwar, placed a bid of PKR 1.4 billion, raising the price well above the minimum increase required.