The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has introduced a new Cricket Development Excellence Award to recognise franchises for their contributions to player development, cricket growth and the progress of the league. The award comes with a $200,000 prize and will be presented to one of the PSL’s original six franchises.
For the 2026 edition, the award will assess development initiatives carried out by franchises from PSL 3 through PSL 11, covering the period in which at least six franchises remained part of the competition. The franchises will first conduct a self-assessment of their development efforts using a scoring model designed by the PSL.
Their scores will then be reviewed by a five-member evaluation committee formed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The committee will include independent experts and institutional representatives and will verify the scores using evidence submitted by the franchises. The committee’s assessment will account for 80% of the final result, while fan voting will make up the remaining 20%.
As part of the process, franchises will publish presentations highlighting their cricket development work on the PSL’s official social media platforms. Fans will then have the opportunity to rank and vote for the franchises. The scoring model gives the highest weighting, 25%, to player pathways and development. Grassroots and domestic engagement and fan sentiment on social media will each carry 20%.
Infrastructure and innovation will account for 15%, while player performance and match impact, and player welfare and education, will each carry 10%. The player development category will examine how franchises identify emerging and lesser-known talent, improve their skills and provide opportunities beyond the PSL.
Player performance will focus on the impact of franchise-discovered players in matches and whether they were given greater responsibilities over time. The infrastructure and innovation category will assess facilities, staff, systems and technology-based initiatives.
Player welfare will cover areas including financial literacy, education, mental health support, media training, anti-doping and anti-corruption awareness, as well as post-career planning. The award will also consider grassroots and domestic initiatives, including support for men’s and women’s cricket, children’s coaching camps, school and club cricket, and participation in PCB programmes.