The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 is expected to resume later this week, with the PCB aiming to complete the tournament on home soil. The league was suspended due to escalating cross-border tensions with India, leaving eight matches still to be played. Both the PCB and several franchises are keen to wrap up the season swiftly.
On Monday, the PCB met with franchise representatives to discuss revised dates and venues for the remaining fixtures. A major point of concern is the availability of overseas players, many of whom are unlikely to return. This uneven availability could significantly affect team compositions, with some franchises more optimistic than others about having their foreign players back.
To address potential squad gaps, the PCB is reportedly considering organizing a replacement draft. However, the quality of players available for such a draft may be limited, as most top-tier overseas talent is already committed to the PSL or IPL. Another logistical challenge is the league’s broadcast production, with current crew contracts set to expire on May 18 — the date initially scheduled for the final.
Franchise insiders told ESPNcricinfo that the unpredictability surrounding the PSL suspension had complicated foreign player commitments. As tensions rose, the PCB explored three different contingency plans within 24 hours. Initially, matches were to be moved to Karachi due to the deteriorating security situation in Rawalpindi. Then, a shift to the UAE was announced early Friday, only to be followed by the league’s indefinite suspension later that day — a decision made on the recommendation of Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shahbaz Sharif.
Before the suspension, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi met with overseas players. One franchise source said the players were “in no frame of mind” to continue, given the emotional toll. That same night, foreign players were airlifted from an airbase to the UAE for safety.
The conclusion of this PSL season also coincides with the end of the original ten-year lease agreements for all six franchises. These contracts are now up for renewal, with current owners given the first right of refusal. Several franchises have already expressed interest in switching from long-term lease models to permanent ownership.
The PSL’s extension into the final ten days of May is also likely to affect Bangladesh’s scheduled tour of Pakistan. The tour, set to begin on May 21 with five T20Is — two in Faisalabad and three in Lahore — could be impacted. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has said it is in “active and ongoing discussions” regarding the tour’s future.
