Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) executive committee head Najam Sethi on Tuesday predicted the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) to become the “biggest thing that has hit Pakistan cricket” in the next five years.

Sethi, who has been a focal figure of the PSL since it’s inception, believed the T20 league which kicks off on February 4, 2016, will be the most exciting event of the year.

“Five years down the line the PSL will be galloping along. It will be the biggest thing that has hit Pakistan cricket,” said Sethi in an interview to UAE based ‘The National’.

A high on confidence Sethi also deemed that PSL will become a more awaited event than the international bilateral series.

“It will be the most exciting event of the year, far more exciting than any FTP [engagement] could ever be,” he said.

“This is my guarantee to you,” maintained Sethi.

With 308 cricketers on board, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) completed players’ drafting for ‘Platinum’, ‘Diamond’ and ‘Gold’ categories on Monday while players belonging to the ‘Silver’ and ‘Emerging’ categories were inducted into the league’s five franchises on Tuesday.

Sethi said that the PSL, which will be contested by five teams i.e. Karachi, Peshawar, Lahore, Islamabad, and Quetta, will take some time before it starts bearing fruits.

“We have very realistic expectations,” he said.

“This is our first time and we want it to take off. Doesn’t mean we will move at supersonic speed but we certainly want it to take off.

“In years to come we feel the product and brand will improve, we’re absolutely confident of that,” Sethi added.

The PCB executive committee head was confident despite the fact that PSL is a late-comer after so many and more lucrative leagues around the world have already settled in.

“I don’t want to disparage other leagues, but the thing is, clearly this is going to be a big league, for the big boys,” said the 66-year-old.

“The fact that our franchises have coughed up tells you there is juice in the market and that the market is going to get better.

“This is going to be a big league, no two ways about it,” he added.

Najam Sethi also revealed that during the PSL franchise bidding process all candidates except for one bid for all five teams.

He also told that the PSL organizers were under pressure to add a sixth team but the time was not right for it.

“We want to demonstrate incredible success so that the asset value goes up,” said Sethi.

“The sixth team we will want to sell for much more than we sold the five teams.”