PSL 8: England cricketers opt for PSL over national tour

• Alex Hales, James Vince and Sam Billings might choose to play PSL.
• England’s tour of Bangladesh clashes with PSL.
• PSL 8 opening ceremony will take place in Multan on February 13.

Since many of their players are probably going to favour franchise leagues over travelling Bangladesh, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is in a pickle.

After Alex Hales, James Vince of the Karachi Kings and Sam Billings of the Lahore Qalandars are three more players who might choose to play in the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) rather than serve their country.

The three T20 matches and equal number of ODIs between England and Bangladesh will take place from March 1 to 14. However, England’s visit conflicts with the PSL, which is scheduled to run from February 13 to March 19.

“Alex Hales will not be included in the squad for Bangladesh as he is set to remain at the Pakistan Super League where he has a lucrative deal. It is understood Sam Billings, Liam Dawson and James Vince will do the same,” the report stated.

“England are happy for their non-contracted players to pursue franchise opportunities with the likes of Billings, Dawson and Vince having spent plenty of time around the England setup since 2015, without being regulars in the XI.

“Players opting not to play for England has raised further questions over England’s contracting structures and, with franchises increasingly powerful, whether greater weight should be given to tour and match fees (currently around £5,000 and £2,500 for ODIs and T20Is respectively) rather than retainers.”

The squad for England’s visit of Bangladesh will be announced this week, according to the report’s addition.

The PSL 8 opening ceremony will take place in Multan on February 13 before the tournament’s first match between the defending champions Lahore Qalandars and the 2021 champion Multan Sultans; the closing ceremony and final will take place on March 19 in Lahore, which will also host play-offs.

Lahore Qalandars will try to become the first team to win consecutive championships, while Islamabad United will try to make history by winning the trophy three times.

Eleven games will be played in Rawalpindi, nine games each in Karachi and Lahore, and five games in Multan.

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