Last Updated on 3 weeks ago by Charbel Coorey
Former England captain Mike Atherton has been attributed to quotes about the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and its standing against the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Posts by fan account @TsMeSalman on X (formerly Twitter) have generated significant reach in recent days. The first, on March 21, was in relation to Atherton supposedly speaking out against players leaving the PSL for the IPL with the likes of Dasun Shanaka and Blessing Muzarabani making the switch. This post has generated nearly 200,000 views.
“This is a worrying trend for the game. When players are already signed with PSL and, just days before the tournament, IPL franchises start targeting them as replacements instead of looking at available free agents, it raises serious questions,” the post begain.
The second, on March 24, has Atherton rating the PSL above the IPL. “Look, I was going through the World Cricketers Association rankings and honestly, it surprised me. People usually think leagues are judged only on money, but that’s not how it works. There are deeper factors like reliability, how players are treated, how disputes are handled, and how professionally things are managed. And when you look at those, PSL actually comes out very strong,” the post began.
Are the alleged quotes by Mike Atherton about the PSL true or fake?
The quotes above are unequivocally false. Atherton has made no such claims. Searches across news sources, including the BBC and Sky Sports, have yielded no results of the statements.
Many fans questioned whether the quotes were true or not, but others have shared their view assuming Atherton made the claims.
The IPL and PSL will clash for the second year running. PSL 2026 kicks off on Thursday 26 March with defending champions Lahore Qalandars taking on Hyderabad Kingsmen. IPL 2026 begins two days later on March 28, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru hosting Sunrisers Hyderabad.
