The Pakistan Super League continued attempts to establish itself as one of the most high-profile T20 leagues in the world as it completed its player draft ahead of the 2025 season.
With the tournament about to complete 10 years of operation, it was time to make some definitive moves and the Pakistan cricket establishment have done that, firstly by increasing the salary for the top players substantially, and secondly by scheduling its games during the Indian Premier League window, freeing itself from any potential player availability conflicts.
On Monday, the PSL held its player draft in Lahore, with some high-profile names getting snapped up. The most prominent among them was former Australia opener David Warner, who is all set to make his debut in the tournament as its highest-paid player.
Warner, 38, is still one of the bigger draws in white-ball cricket and his presence in PSL 2025 for Karachi Kings will add more star power to the tournament, which is attempting to position itself as the second most lucrative league in cricket.
Another high-profile addition is New Zealand all-rounder and ODI World Cup hero Daryl Mitchell, who went to Lahore Qalandars as a Platinum category pick.
This season, the Pakistan Cricket Board has increased the pay of top players significantly to guarantee their services. Earlier, the players in the top-level platinum category received anything between $130,000 and $170,000.
Now star players can expect to earn between $220,000 to $300,000.
That is a substantial jump and should attract many big names who are not part of the IPL or don't want to tie themselves down to the Indian league that lasts two months.
However, there are still a few issues to sort, the main one being the availability of centrally contracted England players. The England board has put a restriction on its players for leagues other than the IPL, greatly impacting the availability of top-tier overseas players in the PSL.
Also, the player draft itself received a lot of criticism for its below-par execution, numerous gaffes and delays and the haphazard nature of its broadcast.
Still, hopes are high for the 2025 season. Especially for the top-earning players in the tournament. Below is the list of the highest-paid cricketers in PSL, namely those in the Platinum category.
The PSL is scheduled to take place from April 8 to May 19.
Highest-paid cricketers of PSL 2025
David Warner (Karachi Kings): $300,000
Daryl Mitchell (Lahore Qalandars): at least $220,000
Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi): $220,000
Fakhar Zaman (Lahore Qalandars): $220,000
Shaheen Afridi (Lahore Qalandars): $220,000
Saim Ayub (Peshawar Zalmi): $220,000
Naseem Shah (Islamabad United): $220,000
Mohammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans): $220,000
Matthew Short (Islamabad United): $220,000
Shadab Khan (Islamabad United): $220,000
Michael Bracewell (Multan Sultans): $220,000
Usama Mir (Multan Sultans): $220,000
Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Peshawar Zalmi): $220,000
Faheem Ashraf (Quetta Gladiators): $220,000
Finn Allen (Quetta Gladiators): $220,000
Mark Chapman (Quetta Gladiators): $220,000
Adam Milne (Karachi Kings): $220,000
Abbas Afridi (Karachi Kings): $220,000
