The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to take over the reins of the Multan Sultans franchise in the PSL after its former owner Ali Tareen has announced that he will step down from the franchise. The PCB will take control for one season.
There has been an ongoing tussle between the owner of PSL franchise Multan Sultans and the Pakistan Cricket Board over the renewal of the PSL contract.
Recently, PCB announced the window to host the 11th edition of Pakistan Super League. This time too, the ICC T20 World Cup has pushed the proceedings back, and hence, it will clash with the IPL.
PCB to take control of Multan Sultans for PSL 2026
The Pakistan Cricket Board, headed by current chief Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Interior Minister of Pakistan, announced taking control of Pakistan Super League franchise, Multan Sultans after private ownership ended on December 31 this year.
According to Pakistani media, a meeting will be held soon to discuss policy on this matter. The PCB will manage Multan Sultans for one year before handing over the franchise to the rightful owners by holding an auction before 2027.
PCB to hand over ownership of Multan Sultans to new owner in 2027
Since the handover could happen before 2027, this arrangement could be very beneficial for the PCB, as they could save around $4 million for that year, and would not need to pay $3 million from the central revenue pool.
The PCB will also save a considerable amount of money, as they will not have to pay an additional $1 million in sponsorship funds. However, a report by the audit firm said that the PCB will waive the franchise fee for the year, which is close to $8.5 million.
In November, the former owners of the Multan Sultans side decided to part ways as the long-strained relationship between the owners and the PCB could not be resolved.
Owners of Multan Sultans in the past
Multan Sultans were the sixth and final team to join the PSL, and were originally contracted to Shawn Group under a $5.2 million deal, making it the most expensive franchise, as this money was double the amount received for the Karachi Kings.
However, soon after the season, the Shaw Group realized that the deal was not a viable deal, and hence, after the franchise payments were not made, the Pakistan Cricket Board decided to terminate the deal.
Alamgir Tareen and his nephew, Ali Tareen, took over ownership of the franchise in December 2018 for $6.3 million and gradually, they built the franchise into one of the dominant forces in the league.
Also read: Ben Stokes injured during the third Ashes Test, England hid the issue but the commentator exposed the truth.
