The 10th edition of the Pakistan Super League has been an unforgettable one.
The tournament organisers decided to hold the league right in the middle of the Indian Premier League. The clash, which was earlier seen as a no-no for any franchise league, was fully embraced by the Pakistan Cricket Board and it seems to have paid off.
Moving the PSL owed much to the Champions Trophy that was held in Pakistan earlier in the year, and secondly due to the increasingly crowded schedule at the beginning of the year.
The PSL began on April 11 with six teams – Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Quetta Gladiators, Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi and Lahore Qalandars – fighting it out for the top prize.
There was a week-long interruption due to an unexpected but explosive conflict between India and Pakistan that threatened to upend not just cricket but normal life in both countries.
However, the conflict thankfully ended very soon, allowing the PSL to return and hold the last set of matches.
Upon PSL's return, Pakistan cricket fans came back to the stadiums in encouraging numbers, having earlier stayed away for most of the matches.
The PSL had gone to great lengths to ensure the tournament was held as smoothly as possible, even planning to relocate to the UAE at one point to complete the remaining fixtures.
They had earlier attempted to make the league as financially lucrative as possible, offering greater salaries to the top players with the hope that they would remain in the league and not switch to the IPL mid-tournament.
According to the Pakistan board, a separate fund of $1 million was created to pay the top players over and above what they would receive through the player draft, which has a salary cap.
Players in PSL were placed in five sections – platinum, diamond, gold, silver and emerging. The best overseas and local players are in the platinum category and receive the best remuneration.
Highest-paid players 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
Kane Williamson (Karachi Kings): $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
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James
Three and a half stars
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eco%20Way%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Kroshnyi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electric%20vehicles%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bootstrapped%20with%20undisclosed%20funding.%20Looking%20to%20raise%20funds%20from%20outside%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
