The 12th edition of the Pakistan Super League will run from March 18 to May 2 next year and, for the first time, will be played across five to six venues. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) unveiled the tournament's pre-season roadmap on Friday and opened the direct signings window for all eight franchises.
The PCB said the player-movement cycle has begun with immediate effect, with the player auction scheduled for January 23. The 46-day event will feature 44 matches: 40 league games and four playoffs. Under the direct signings rules, each franchise may sign one marquee player who did not feature in either PSL 10 or PSL 11. The window stays open until November 23, and a workshop with franchises next week will settle retention deadlines, the pre-auction trade window, auction regulations and playing conditions.
In a boost for domestic cricket, the board has aligned the National T20 Gold and National T20 Silver tournaments with the PSL pre-season calendar. The two events will now be the main talent-identification pathway, giving standout domestic players a clearer route into the franchise league and potentially the national team.
"HBL PSL is Pakistan cricket's biggest stage, and Season 12 will be its most ambitious yet," PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said. "HBL PSL 11 ended before a record crowd, and we are building on that momentum by taking the league to more cities than ever before." League chief executive Salman Naseer said the move to more venues would bring the competition closer to fans across the country.