'We Will Show It' - Mohsin Naqvi on PCB running Multan Sultans after Ali Tareen's exit

gopi-marisetty — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 13:46:01 GMT

Mohsin Naqvi

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi has confirmed that the PCB will temporarily run the Multan Sultans franchise after former owner Ali Tareen decided not to continue. The move comes as the franchise is expected to be sold again later this year.

Ali Tareen recently announced his exit from Multan Sultans, citing ongoing financial losses. His decision, made close to the new season, forced the PCB to step in and take full operational control of the team ahead of the Pakistan Super League 2026.

With no private owner in place, Multan Sultans will now be managed by the PCB for at least one season. The board plans to put the franchise back up for sale after showing that PSL team ownership can be financially rewarding.

PCB aims to prove Multan Sultans can make profit

Speaking to reporters, Mohsin Naqvi said he turned down immediate offers to sell the team because he wanted to prove a point. He said the PCB has taken this as a challenge to counter claims that the franchise was running at a loss. “I took a challenge, and that is that there were a lot of claims on social media that the team was in losses. So, I, and all of the team, decided that we will show you how much profit this business offers and publish the numbers before going for the auction. The pressure has started to build up on me to sell out the team.”

Naqvi added that he wants the PCB to manage the Multan Sultans for one full year before handing it over to a new owner. He believes this will give potential buyers confidence in the business model of the PSL “But my wish is to operate Multan Sultans for one year, and I'm very much hopeful that we would leave it in profit so the world gets to know that it's a plus-plus business.”

The PSL 2026 season is scheduled to run from March 23 to May 3 and will be played alongside the IPL 2026. The PCB hopes that a strong season on and off the field will increase the value of the Multan Sultans franchise before it goes up for auction again.