Sarfaraz Ahmed Welcomes PSL Expansion, Praises Successful Franchise Auction

Former Pakistan captain and current Under-19 team manager Sarfaraz Ahmed has praised the Pakistan Super League’s expansion, applauding both the Pakistan Cricket Board and the new franchise owners following a high-profile auction ahead of season 11.

Taking to his official X account, Sarfaraz congratulated the PCB and the PSL management on the successful completion of the bidding process.

“Well done, PCB and PSL, on a successful auction. Congratulations to KingsmenCricket and OZGroupOfficial on their bids,” he wrote.

He went on to welcome the league’s growth and the inclusion of two new cities.

“Great to see the league expand to 8 teams, welcome Hyderabad and Sialkot. Pakistan Zindabad,” he added.

Earlier in the day, the Pakistan Super League officially confirmed its expansion, with Hyderabad and Sialkot announced as the two new franchises following an intense auction held at the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad. The two teams will make their debut in PSL season 11, increasing the total number of franchises from six to eight.

The new sides will join Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators, Islamabad United, and Multan Sultans in the upcoming edition. The official team names for the Hyderabad and Sialkot franchises are expected to be revealed at a later date.

The auction attracted strong interest from multiple qualified bidders, with aggressive offers underlining the league’s rising commercial value. The Hyderabad franchise was secured by the FKS Group, owned by Fawad Sarwar, after a winning bid of Rs 1.75 billion.

Later in the auction, OZ Developers, owned by Hamza Majeed, claimed ownership of the Sialkot franchise with a record Rs 1.85 billion bid, the highest amount registered during the bidding process.

PSL auction regulations allowed the successful bidders to select their home cities from the PCB-approved list of Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad, and Gilgit. Finally, Hyderabad and Sialkot were ultimately selected.

The PSL 11 will be the biggest edition with the addition of two new teams. The season will begin on March 26 and be completed on May 3, marking another milestone in the league’s development.