PSL-4 players’ draft today

ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan Super League edition four (PSL-4) players’ draft is set to be held at a local hotel in Islamabad Tuesday, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ehsan Mani claimed receiving overwhelming response for the vacant sixth team ownership. “We are going ahead with the team panel to select the best possible players from each category for the Sixth outfit. As all the process has to complete according to laid down schedule, the Draft would go ahead as plan.”

Ehsan Mani said over ten strong parties have so far approached him to buy the rights of available sixth team. Multan Sultan team ownership went open following a recent understanding between former owners and PSL administrators. “We cannot wait for the completion of all the formalities before holding draft. It is a time consuming job as we have to go through the entire process afresh.” The PCB has already threw the dice open for investors to buy sixth team ownership. “It could well take another month or so before we would be in a position to know as who owns the franchise.”

The PCB chairman also hinted at giving joint ownership to interested parties for the 2019 edition of PSL if parties fail to meet the required demand.

“It is a possibility. Though we haven’t yet set the benchmark as the minimum prize to wrest the ownership, there is a possibility that if we fail to get the minimum amount we may well decide to dole out joint rights for the 2019 edition and then leave everything for the next season. First thing first-we are expecting parties to meet our offer and it is very likely we would get that. The initial response is overwhelming,” Ehsan Mani claimed. The PCB chairman said that whatever the sixth team panel would pick from the Players Draft, the new owners will have to go with it. “Obviously, the panel would go for the best for sixth team and as such their decision would be final. It would be part of new contract we are to sign with owners/owner in due course.” The selection for the Sixth Team at the HBL PSL Player Draft 2018 will be conducted by a panel comprising essential staff of the team.

The panel, headed by team manager Nadeem Khan, includes Nadeem Khan (team manager as head of panel), Shoaib Malik, (captain), Faisal Mirza (consultant).

The sixth team has already retained Shoaib Malik and Keirn Pollard (Platinum), Kumar Sangakkara and Sohail Tanir (Diamond), M Irfan and Junaid Khan (Gold) and Kashif Bhatti, Sohaib Maqsood and Irfan Khan (Silver).