After BPL, PSL follows suit as PCB takes over Multan Sultans

Just days after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was forced to take over Chattogram Royals in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), a similar and equally rare development has unfolded in franchise cricket, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) set to operate Pakistan Super League (PSL) side Multan Sultans from the upcoming season.

Multan Sultans, champions of the 2021 PSL, is the league's most valuable franchise having been acquired initially in 2018 for a significantly higher fee than others. It had been owned by Ali Khan Tareen but from the next edition of the league, the franchise will be run by the PCB following a breakdown in relations between the board and the owner.

Tensions escalated over the past year as Tareen repeatedly voiced concerns over transparency, governance and communication within the PSL setup.

The PCB had grown increasingly uncomfortable with Tareen's conduct and even served him a legal notice, asking him to issue a public apology for criticising the PSL, failing which he was threatened with blacklisting. Tareen later appeared in a video tearing up the legal notice.

The board subsequently accused the Multan owner of breaching clauses of the 10-year franchise agreement signed between the PCB and PSL franchises. Despite the allegations, Tareen reportedly paid little heed to the board's warnings, prompting the PCB to sever ties and take over the franchise.

Speaking at a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed the development

"This year, the PCB will operate Multan Sultans itself. After the end of the next PSL season, God-willing, we will hand it over to its next owners after an auction process," Naqvi said.

He added that an "acting head" for the franchise would be appointed within the next eight to 10 days, preferably a professional cricketer, to ensure smooth operations.

The development comes at a pivotal time for the PSL, which is set to expand to eight teams from its 2026 season, marking the league's first major overhaul since Multan Sultans entered the competition seven years ago. As part of that expansion, the PCB has scheduled an auction for two new franchises on January 8 in Islamabad, after narrowing the field to 10 technically qualified bidders from both local and international investors.

There has been widespread speculation that Tareen could seek a return to the league by directly or indirectly participating in the bidding process for the new teams. However, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi played down any potential complications arising from Tareen's past differences with the board.

"Ali has done a lot of work on Multan Sultans," Naqvi said. "Unfortunately, whatever happened is an issue I don't want to discuss. But technically, we will absolutely welcome him. If he wants to take a new team, he should definitely take it."

While five of the existing PSL franchises have already renewed their agreements earlier this year under revised valuations, Multan Sultans will not be put up for sale before the upcoming season. The decision, Naqvi said, was taken to ensure operational continuity for the franchise.

The PCB chairman explained that the franchise could have been included in the January 8 auction if not for regulatory hurdles linked to the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA).

"There is a lot of interest in [Multan Sultans] right now," Naqvi noted. "But in Pakistan, there are PPRA rules that have to be followed."

He elaborated on the procedure required to sell the franchise, saying: "There is a process: first, advertise internationally, then I think a two-month wait, then everything. So it won't be possible to do it because that process would have to be complete."

Naqvi added that the process for onboarding the two new franchises had begun much earlier, making it impractical to combine the sale of Multan with the upcoming auction.

"This one (new teams) was already started much earlier. For that, the full process has to be done. So we have already started the process. As soon as it finishes, we will sell it immediately," he said.

The 11th edition of the PSL is scheduled to take place from March 26 to May 3, once again clashing with the Indian Premier League. The overlap is part of a strategy aimed at luring top overseas players through improved salaries and increased prize money.

However, Naqvi revealed that discussions are ongoing with the league's stakeholders about moving the start date forward to March 23, which would allow the tournament's opening to coincide with Pakistan Day.