I’m having mixed thoughts over this.
On one hand I think it’s viable and a lot more feasible to try and compete against one league than the ending stages of multiple other leagues in their current window. Some of the players that sign up for the IPL don’t/wouldn’t play in the PSL either. There’s plenty of others they could sign up to have a decent quality of overseas players and unlike in their current window there will only be one international series occurring at best in the IPL window. The concerns over Ramadan affecting the current tournament(s) also make it a good choice.
On the other hand… as much as they claim that they want to co-exist with the IPL and not compete… you are competing with it as an entertainment product. The number of cricket fans is finite. I do think it’s refreshing that a league is intending to focus fully on it’s core, local fanbase rather than pander to everyone out there (and Pakistan can afford to do the former easily) but they’ll have to accept that they wouldn’t have as much overseas viewership if they did move. There’s also the small matter of reliably acquiring overseas players. County sides already grumble and demand compensation for their players skipping out on the season for IPL, can the PSL afford that by proxy for even it’s fringe players? I’m not sure why there’s talks of the playoffs being played in the UK either, surely you would want your best games at home?
I actually don't think it's a bad idea. For one, having more leagues overlap might mean there's more room in the calendar for international cricket. Which is a good thing in my opinion.
Sure, they are going to miss out on a lot of overseas players but there's plenty of high quality players not at the IPL. Ultimately, while you want that overseas star power, it's your domestic players that should be the real stars. The PSL has definitely expanded that talent pool and star potential. Some teams certainly seem to put a high value on scouting players.
The play-offs in England thing is kind of stupid. We do have a double bank-holiday at the end of May, so there could be a Friday to Tuesday window, which could suit several games. It would be odd having your finals in another country.
My two cents.
At its core it’s not a bad idea. Firstly, the PSL’s appeal to the masses is because they can see their favourite players, and their home towns, compete against each other, with the glitter and glamour of a franchise league differentiating it from the National T20 Cup. Obviously overseas players are a big part of that glitter and glamour, but, apart from cricket nerds, nobody
really cares about how many big names there are. The local players are the main attractions, and the PSL has seen enough success to have proven this beyond doubt over the last 9 seasons. The overseas players that do come are still of good quality, and in fact the relative dearth of big names has allowed opportunities for less renowned players, like Harry Brook, Dawid Malan, Jofra Archer and Tim David, to shine at the PSL before being considered by the IPL or their national team. Some of them, like David Wiese, have become proper cult heroes to the masses.
And Islamabad United just won the PSL by not having a single player picked in the IPL, either in the auction or as a replacement. So it’s doable. Yes, some players will be missed, but some others will also become available, especially with the bump in salary caps. And most importantly, the fact that the masses and "casual fans" can just enjoy the whole tournament and tune in regardless of who’s winning will always ensure PSL’s popularity. The overseas audience can be disregarded completely, there’s 200 million people in the domestic market, and cricket has a crushing monopoly over other sports.
Secondly, avoiding a clash with the month of Ramzan is a big consideration. It starts 10 days earlier each year, so it would clash with the winter window for the next decade. Not only does it nullify ticket sales for games that start before sunset, but impacts commercial factors as well. Brands plan ahead for two windows in the year : PSL and Ramzan. So it’s a wise move to avoid it.
2025 CT window: Feb/March
2026 T20WC window: Feb/Mar
2027 WC window: Oct/Nov
2028 WC window: likely Oct/Nov
2029 CT window: Feb/Mar
2030 T20WC window: likely June/July
2031 WC window: likely Feb/Mar
PSL is in an impossible spot to maintain a single window throughout the current FTP cycle. You chuck in a curve-ball like the CLT20 being discussed again, most likely for a September slot, then you realise that this is the best move.
