Lahore, September 6, 2026: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and owners of the eight Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises have discussed moving next year’s tournament to January, according to cricket website Cricinfo.
The proposal was discussed during a PSL Governing Council meeting held in London on September 1, with media rights holder Walee Technologies reportedly pushing for an earlier window.
According to the report, Walee proposed shifting the PSL to January over concerns about limited advertising revenue during the existing April-May window.
The period follows Ramadan, when companies are understood to have already allocated a significant portion of their marketing and television advertising budgets.
Franchise owners, however, have raised concerns about whether they would receive their full share of broadcast revenue regardless of when the tournament is held, particularly amid questions over Walee’s advertising returns.
Under the existing agreement, the eight franchises receive 95 per cent of broadcast revenue from the central revenue pool.
The first nine editions of the PSL, held between 2016 and 2024, were staged during February-March. The tournament was shifted to April-May for the past two seasons because of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025 and the T20 World Cup in 2026.
The move to April-May has meant that the PSL has been played concurrently with the Indian Premier League (IPL). One advantage of the overlapping window has been the uninterrupted availability of overseas players, an issue that affected previous PSL editions because of clashes with other T20 leagues.
A January-February window could again create player-availability challenges, with the PSL potentially competing with South Africa’s SA20 and Australia’s Big Bash League for overseas talent.
Weather conditions could present another challenge. January and February bring colder temperatures and dense fog to Punjab, where Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi — three of the PSL’s four traditional venues — are located.
One proposal under consideration is to begin the tournament in Karachi before moving to Punjab and Peshawar as weather conditions improve.
Pakistan currently has an international cricket window from mid-November to March, with no home or away series scheduled during that period. The national side is due to host Sri Lanka and England in October and November before facing New Zealand in March in its final World Test Championship assignment of the current cycle.
Walee Technologies holds the PSL’s domestic broadcast and digital rights until 2029 and held the international media rights for the 2026 edition. The company also owns Rawalpindiz, one of two new franchises introduced after the league expanded to eight teams this year.
The Governing Council, comprising representatives of the PCB and owners of all eight franchises, also discussed ways to expand the PSL’s footprint beyond its traditional tournament window.
The council explored the possibility of entering the esports market, which has been growing in Pakistan, amid franchise concerns over declining interest in the PSL following the national team’s poor performances across formats.
An entry into esports could help the league attract a younger and more diverse audience while creating additional commercial opportunities.
The council also discussed staging a mid-year tournament under the existing rights agreement. The PCB proposed the event as an additional revenue stream for franchises and the broadcaster while helping maintain the PSL’s visibility throughout the year.
No final decision has been taken on shifting the PSL to January or staging additional events, with further discussions expected before any changes are formally approved.
