PSL 11th edition: Steve Smith becomes most expensive player in league history

2026-02-05 - 06:56

Australian batsman Steve Smith has become the most expensive player in the history of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The 11th edition of PSL will take place in March with eight teams, and this time, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) allowed each franchise to directly sign one foreign cricketer, provided they were not part of PSL last year. New team Sialkot Stallions has secured a deal with Australian star batter Steve Smith. According to sources, Smith will be paid over $500,000, which amounts to more than 14 crore Pakistani rupees, making him the highest-paid player in PSL history. Sources also mentioned that another franchise was willing to offer Smith $500,000, but the deal was finalized with Sialkot. For comparison, Babar Azam’s compensation is 7 crore rupees, meaning Smith will earn double that amount. Following the inclusion of two new teams, the PCB reduced the retention limit for old franchises from eight players to four. These franchises are now allowed to retain one player from each of the four categories. Recently, the list of retained players was made public, along with the details of player compensation. Four of the five franchises have announced that they will pay their platinum players 7 crore rupees each. Other players will also receive significant amounts. Sources have revealed that some players will receive more than the agreed amount in their contracts, but only the officially declared compensation will be disclosed publicly. With the addition of two new franchises, the demand for players has increased, and many players have successfully raised their compensation by informing their teams of better offers.