Multan Sultans’ PSL future in doubt after shock omission
The Multan Sultans have been excluded from renewal offers while the Pakistan Cricket Board completes franchise valuations.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appears to have sidelined the Multan Sultans as it rolls out renewal offers for the next decade of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
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Current owner Ali Tareen has not received the renewal letter issued to other “compliant PSL franchises” as the board confirms updated franchise fees and valuations.
Multiple franchises were informed immediately after a meeting of PSL management and team owners, where they were given the choice to accept a 10-year extension under higher annual fees — as much as a 25 percent increase from current levels.
By contrast, the Multan Sultans did not receive such an offer and were reportedly excluded from all financial discussions despite having attended operational-planning meetings for PSL 2025.
The dispute follows months of public tension between Tareen and the PCB. Tareen criticised the league’s transparency and financial dealings, and refused to issue a formal apology despite threats of a PCB block-list. He even issued a mock-apology video in which he tore up a notice sent by the board.
With renewal offers dispatched, franchises now face tight deadlines to respond. Lack of an offer for Multan places the franchise at a crossroads — it may surrender ownership, open to new bidders, or trigger a protracted negotiation.
The PSL is undergoing a strategic overhaul. The PCB has completed an independent valuation of all existing franchises and shortlisted six cities — Hyderabad, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad, Faisalabad, Gilgit and Rawalpindi — for two additional teams from 2026 onward.
For the Multan Sultans, founded in 2017 and known for reaching four consecutive PSL finals between 2021 and 2024, the omission signals a major shift in the league’s ownership landscape.
As the PCB moves to finalize its franchise structure ahead of an eight-team format in 2026, the Multan Sultans’ fate will influence investor sentiment, city representation and commercial stability of the PSL.
