LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the evaluation framework for the inaugural HBL PSL Cricket Development Excellence Award, with the winning franchise set to receive a prize of $200,000.
The award will assess the cricket development initiatives undertaken by franchises from HBL PSL 3 through the recently completed 11th edition of the league. The broader assessment period has been selected to cover the years in which at least six franchises competed in the tournament.
From the 12th edition onward, the award will be based only on development activities carried out between the two most recent PSL seasons.
Under the evaluation process, franchises will initially conduct a self-assessment using a scoring framework developed by the HBL PSL. Their submissions will then be reviewed by a five-member committee constituted by the PCB.
The committee, comprising independent experts and PCB stakeholders, will verify the claims and scores submitted by the franchises against supporting evidence and measurable data. This assessment will account for 80 percent of the overall score.
The remaining 20 percent will come from public participation. Each competing franchise will present its cricket development initiatives through the PSL’s official social media platforms, following which fans will vote and rank the teams.
Award scoring framework
The PCB has divided the assessment into six key areas:
Player pathway and development: 25%
Player impact and match contribution: 10%
High-performance infrastructure and innovation: 15%
Grassroots and domestic engagement: 20%
Player welfare and education: 10%
Fan voting through social media: 20%
The PCB said voting guidelines will be made available to fans when the voting process opens.
What will be assessed?
The player pathway and development category will focus on uncapped or emerging players identified by franchises, their subsequent development and progression, and opportunities provided to them beyond the PSL.
The player impact category will examine how newly identified players perform for their franchises, including their match-winning contributions, development trajectory and expansion of responsibilities.
Assessment of high-performance infrastructure will cover facilities, staffing and institutional systems, as well as the use of technology and innovative approaches to player development.
The player welfare and education component will examine initiatives such as financial literacy, educational assistance, mental health support, media training, anti-doping and anti-corruption awareness, and career planning for players after cricket.
Meanwhile, the grassroots and domestic engagement category will cover franchise contributions to both men’s and women’s cricket, including school and club programmes, coaching clinics for children and participation in PCB-organised competitions and activities.
The PCB said additional information regarding the members of the assessment committee and the schedule for the fan-voting phase would be announced later.
