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.”

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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.

Ali Tareen, the former proprietor of Multan Sultans, shocked the cricketing world in Pakistan by announcing that he was pulling out of bidding for a new team in the PSL 2026 expansion lot only hours before bidding commenced. Although his company, DSM Builders, had already been approved as a possible bidder for one of the two new teams , making this announcement even more shocking it is Tareen himself who confirmed the news; thus, ending any speculation regarding whether he would be participating in the Pakistan Super League again. The event has once again reinforced the difficult relationship between Tareen and the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board), which has only gotten worse in the past 12 months.

Tareen made this announcement after losing control over managing the Multan Sultans after the end of the 2025 season. Although, many believed that he would try to reclaim his spot in the league through the expansion auction since he was a major force behind the success of Multan, he made a decision that many did not expect. With Tareen in charge, the Sultans won their first ever PSL title in 2021, and they consistently appeared in the finals, creating a large following and branding themselves as one of the top teams.

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With Tareen's popularity and successful history, it was anticipated that his potential return would be a significant boon to the development of the league. With strong support from South Punjab, which is geographically earmarked for the Multan franchise, Tareen was viewed as a passionate and outspoken team owner. His imminent presence was expected to add both a commercial and emotional level of investment to the new chapter of the PSL. Tareen's late exit disrupts the anticipated dynamics of the auction and introduces new governance issues, as well as relationship issues, in the league's hierarchy.

After careful consideration, my family and I have decided not to participate in today’s PSL franchise auction.

Our time with Multan Sultans was never just about owning a cricket team. It was about South Punjab. About giving a voice to a region that had been overlooked for too…

— Ali Khan Tareen (@aliktareen) January 8, 2026

Ali Tareen last-minute withdrawal shocks cricket world

After announcing on social media that he would not be participating in the auction due to a lack of representation for South Punjab, Tareen expressed that his connection to Multan and South Punjab has always been an important aspect of his association with the PSL. He further implied that it was unfair for the PCB and PSL organisation to push aside the most vocal and passionate supporter of a franchise. This made an already strained relationship between Tareen and the PCB worse.

Tareen's disagreements with the PCB over franchise operations, the financial status of franchises and the renewal processes for contracts have been an ongoing issue for a number of months. The situation worsened when the PCB sent Tareen a legal notice in 2025, alleging a breach of his contract and that he had made comments which were damaging to the PCB and the PSL. In response, Tareen vehemently denied the accusations against him, to the point of ripping up the legal notice on a video that rapidly gained millions of views. Even though Tareen will not be part of the PSL for a while, the process of expanding the PSL continues, as another bidder will now enter the competition for the league as it will be transformed into an eight-team competition in 2026.

Tensions between Pakistan Super League franchise Multan Sultans and the Pakistan Cricket Board have deepened, with owner Ali Khan Tareen openly expressing frustration over what he describes as a complete communication breakdown regarding the team’s renewal and valuation process.

Tareen revealed that despite repeatedly reaching out, Multan have still not received the valuation and renewal letter that other franchises have been issued. “Over the past month we have sent multiple emails to the PSL management, asking for our valuation and renewal letter (which every other team has already received). But there has been no response,” he wrote on social media. He added that there had been “no response to our legal letter, no response to our emails, no response to my letter to the Chairman,” calling the situation unwarranted and disappointing.

Multan Sultans voice concerns amid stalled talks and looming PSL expansion

According to Tareen, Multan’s exclusion has also raised eyebrows among rival teams. “Even other franchise reps have asked why Multan is not being included in the valuation and renewal process. No response,” he stated. He stressed that the matter was only made public because all private attempts to resolve it had been ignored. “It is simply because PSL management refuse to engage with us,” he said.

Since the PCB will not communicate with us, here is an update we can share ourselves.

Over the past month we have sent multiple emails to the PSL management, asking for our valuation and renewal letter (which every other team has already received). But there has been no…

— Ali Khan Tareen (@aliktareen) November 19, 2025

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The disagreement comes at a sensitive time for the league. The PCB recently confirmed that two new franchises will be introduced, initiating a tender process for fresh ownership rights. It also announced that the independent valuation for existing teams had been completed, with renewal offers shared with what the board termed “compliant” franchises. The PCB has reportedly held meetings with other teams to explain the valuation model and address concerns.

Tareen warned that Multan may be forced into legal action if the “ghosting” continues, though he maintained that it was a move the franchise wanted to avoid. He regretted how the issue had escalated, saying it “could have easily been solved over tea and biscuits, but fragile egos make simple things difficult.”

What once seemed like a manageable disagreement has now grown into a public standoff, leaving questions over Multan Sultans’ future unresolved as the PSL edges toward a crucial new chapter of expansion and commercial restructuring.