'We'll see who goes to play IPL': PCB chief Ramiz Raja makes bold claim as hints at changes in PSL

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is regarded as the best T20 cricket league in the world. Ever since the inception of the tournament in 2008, IPL has managed to maintain its quality and continues to attract the best players from around the world to ply their trade in the tournament. The cash-rich league is also one of the riches cricketing tournaments in the world in terms of revenue.

While a number of countries have established their own domestic T20 leagues like the Big Bash League (Australia), Caribbean Premier League (West Indies) and Pakistan Super League (Pakistan), IPL remains the best competition in the world due its sheer quality.

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has often earned comparisons with the IPL due to the quality of cricket at display in the league but has failed to attract the best players from across the globe over the years. Nonetheless, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ramiz Raja wants to bring in some big changes in the league in order to help it compete with the IPL.

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Raja recently hinted at scrapping the existing player draft system in the PSL to move to the auction model like the IPL. IPL doesn't have a draft system and the players are picked at the auction after bidding wars between the teams. Raja wants to increase the purse of the PSL franchises and move to the auction model which he believes will boost the revenue system of the league and attract players as their feeswill go up significantly.

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"We need to create new properties to be financially independent. We have nothing for now but the PSL and ICC funds. There's an argument over the model from next year; I want to switch it to an auction model from next year. The market forces are conducive, but we'll sit down with the franchise owners to discuss it," Raja was quoted as saying byEspnCricinfo.

Raja said if the PSL adopts the auction model, he would like to put the Pakistani league in the same bracket as the IPL. The PCB chief also went on to make a bold claim that he would then see which players would head to the IPL over the PSL.

"This is a game of money. When the cricket economy grows in Pakistan, our respect will rise. The main driver of that financial economy is the PSL. If we take the PSL to auction model, increase the purse, then I'll put it in the IPL bracket. And then we'll see who goes to play the IPL over the PSL," Raja added.

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The Pakistan Super League was started by PCB in the year 2016 and the board has since conducted seven successful editions of the T20 league. Shaheen Afridi-led Lahore Qalandars won the 2022 edition of the PSL this year.

Meanwhile, IPL is entering its 15th edition in 2022 with the league now featuring ten instead of eight teams. IPL 2022 is all set to kick off from March 26 with defending champions Chennai Super Kings locking horns with Kolkata Knight Riders in the season opener at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.