Franchise Multan Sultans not to renew PSL contract

Staff Report

LAHORE: Ali Khan Tareen bowed out as owner of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Multan Sultans on Tuesday after deciding not to renew their contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The development comes as all five remaining franchises have renewed their agreements with the league for the next 10 years over the past two days, with Islamabad United and Karachi Kings being the latest to do so. Tareen announced his departure in a note posted on X, describing the decision as a difficult but unavoidable conclusion to an increasingly strained relationship with the PCB. “Despite the financial losses year after year, I never once thought about walking away,” he wrote. “The Sultans have always meant more to me than just numbers. And I have always been willing to go as far as needed to protect it.” Acknowledging that his forthright views had not always been well received, Tareen said he had “always spoken his mind”, even when it put him at odds with the league’s management. “I never learned how to play it safe or just play along,” he said. “And if staying means compromising those principles there is only one choice I can make. I would rather lose this team while standing on my feet than run it from my knees. So, this is goodbye.”

Tensions between the PCB and Tareen had escalated earlier this year after he publicly questioned the board’s commitment to strengthening the PSL amid increasing competition from T20 leagues worldwide. He had argued that the PSL leadership was not taking sufficient steps to protect the league’s standing as a leading T20 brand. The dispute worsened after the PCB issued Tareen a legal notice for what it termed a “breach of contractual obligations”, prompting him to respond with further criticism. The resulting standoff eventually evolved into a complete breakdown in relations. Tareen had maintained in recent weeks that he had not been approached regarding a renewal. His claim was borne out on Tuesday as the PCB moved ahead with franchise extensions for all other teams, leaving Multan the only side not offered continued ownership under its existing holder. With his departure, Multan Sultans enter a period of uncertainty over their future ownership, even as the franchise remains one of the PSL’s most consistent performers on the field.