England’s former pace bowling all-rounder David Willey believes that players feel more secure with the Pakistan Super League (PSL) rather than the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Despite the lucrative scale and high competitiveness of the IPL, players are provided with guaranteed match time in the PSL.

‘More Security with PSL for Players’: David Willey

Speaking to Hindustan Times, David Willey pointed out the uncertainties of the IPL auction and believes PSL offers more guarantees and security to the players.

The England cricketer was asked why he played PSL in the previous year when he was not picked for the IPL auction last season. Here is what Willey had to say about his unique move:

“Yeah! I believe that every individual will feel about this. You never know how the IPL auction will turn away. But, there is a slight certainty and security that players will have with PSL compared to IPL.

People often feel that they get more chances to play in PSL rather than getting sidelined for 10 to 11 weeks, just because of the individual circumstances, which is indeed a defining factor for those involved.

Especially in India, the scale and magnitude of IPL is something that cannot be experienced across the globe, as this league is very special,” Willey said.

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Sunil Gavaskar About Overseas Players’ Unavailability in IPL

Previously, former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar lashed out against the partial availability of foreign players for an IPL season.

“See! Only some players have made themselves available for a limited span. To be frank, a player who doesn’t show any respect to the IPL should make himself available throughout the tournament, although he isn’t there in the auction.

Suppose there is any other reason apart from national commitment, then not even a second should be wasted on a particular player. To be frank, the IPL is the world’s best and richest T20 league, and any individual’s lighter point of view shouldn’t be taken into consideration,” Gavaskar said.

In recent times, the Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis confirmed his participation for 25% of the IPL 2026 season. He cited the wedding ceremony as the main reason for his limited appearance.

PSL to Once Again Clash with IPL’s Next Season in 2026

Despite the small window available for the T20 league, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken a bold approach to allow the PSL once again to clash with the IPL schedule.

The viewership rate would be significantly affected by the world’s popular T20 league. At the same time, there is an opportunity that all unsold IPL players would get a chance to find a buyer in the PSL.

For instance, Moeen Ali was one of those unsold players in the IPL 2025 mega auction. Glenn Maxwell, who represented the Punjab Kings, was dropped midway through the season. Faf du Plessis was the core batter of the Delhi Capitals in the previous edition. Even though he was the vice-captain, injury issues ruled him out for the remainder of the season.

IPL vs PSL vs ILT20: David Willey’s Comparison

David Willey, who is currently representing Dubai Capitals in ILT20 2026, was asked about how the ongoing league is different from IPL and PSL:

“See! The challenges in three different leagues vary. Likewise, in the PSL, dew is a huge factor, but you get to play on different pitches.

In comparison, the Indian pitches have variations, where the quality and depth of players in the IPL is truly remarkable. You might observe the larger number of foreign cricketers in each team, but you have to adjust to how to use the local and associate players, which is yet another big challenge.

Even if the three leagues have their own specialties that make the competition more intriguing, the scale and popularity of IPL in India make it a blockbuster league,” Willey added.

IPL Auction’s High Competition: PSL Better Alternative

Although the IPL offers hefty paychecks and the opportunity to compete with global and domestic stars, players in the PSL have higher chances of being a part of the regular playing XI.

At times, the team combinations in IPL are heavily influenced by the strict regulations on overseas players. The best example is Australia’s top T20 pace bowler, Nathan Ellis, who was benched throughout the IPL 2025 season, apart from a single game, despite CSK struggling with the fast-bowling attack.

Also, the most shocking part was about David Warner and Kane Williamson— the former captains of Sunrisers Hyderabad, who were the big names that went unsold in last year’s mega auction before acquiring the PSL contracts.

Afghanistan’s spin bowling all-rounder Mohammad Nabi and Ireland’s fast bowler Josh Little followed a similar pattern. David Willey also made a similar move by avoiding the IPL auction to ensure his complete services for the PSL franchise.

In reality, several veteran cricketers can get an opportunity to ensure their on-field presence representing their respective PSL franchises due to the low level of competition and the requirement for experienced candidates in the playing XI.