The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has suffered a major blow as Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen has announced that he will not continue ownership of the franchise after seven years. Ali Tareen’s exit has caused a storm in the PSL, especially as it comes at a time when tensions have been rising between him and PSL officials and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for months.
Multan Sultans owner Tareen shared an emotional message on social media, thanking the fans and saying that the team has always meant more to him than numbers or profits. He hinted at a deep rift with the PSL management by saying that he would “rather lose a team standing on its feet than run it off its knees.”
Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen resigns amid rising tensions with PSL and PCB officials
For almost a year now, the Multan Sultans owner has been openly criticizing the Pakistan Super League for poor planning and lack of transparency. The dispute became so serious that the PCB sent a legal notice accusing him of breaching the contract and demanding an apology.
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Instead, Tareen released a sarcastic video where he tore the notice. He also revealed that Multan Sultans did not receive any response to any messages sent to PSL or PCB officials and warned that they could take legal action. Earlier this week, the PCB had again emailed him asking him to remove all posts criticizing the league and apologise, but he refused to do so.
Later, the owner of Multan Sultans distanced himself from the important meetings of the 11th season of PSL. Interestingly, Tareen was the only owner who did not receive a franchise renewal offer from the PSL and PCB and has now announced his departure.
I never thought even once about going away: Tareen Ali
Tareen Ali said in a statement, “Being a part of this team has been one of the greatest honors of my life. Despite financial losses year after year, I never thought about walking away from it. Sultans has always meant more to me than just numbers. And I have always been willing to go as far as necessary to protect it.”
To all Multan Sultans fans,
Being a part of this team has been the greatest honor of my life. I love the fans, I love this team, and I love being able to represent South Punjab. Of which my late uncle Alamgir Tareen was particularly proud.
In every season, I…
– Ali Khan Tareen (@aliktareen) 25 November 2025
His exit comes at a time when the PSL is expanding from six to eight teams. With Tareen’s departure, the PCB will now have to look for a third new owner instead of two.
5 PSL teams signed contracts for 10 years due to fall in market value of Karachi Kings
Meanwhile, Karachi Kings, Quetta Gladiators, Islamabad United, Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi have all confirmed that they will remain in the Pakistan Super League with the same owners for the next ten years.
Karachi Kings, which started the PSL in 2016 as the most expensive franchise, has now recorded the lowest percentage increase in its team value. His original price was PKR 440 million (about US$1.57 million), and he is now worth about PKR 790 million (about US$2.8 million).
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As the retention rules require the owners to pay 25% of the new valuation along with the old fee, Karachi Kings’ annual fee has now reached approximately PKR 640 million (approximately US$2.3 million). Their market ranking has fallen below Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans, and is only higher than Quetta Gladiators.
Quetta Gladiators register biggest increase in PSL value
However, Quetta Gladiators have shown the biggest increase in market value despite being the overall least valuable team in the PSL. He started with PKR 187 million (approximately USD 660,000) in 2016, and his worth has reached approximately PKR 690 million (approximately USD 2.45 million). Their owners will now pay around PKR 360 million (about US$1.28 million) per year.
Islamabad United has grown from PKR 255 million (about US$910,000) in 2016 to about PKR 860 million (about US$3.06 million). His renewal fee is approximately PKR 470 million (approximately US$1.67 million).
