Ali Tareen exits as owner of the Multan Sultans PSL franchise on Tuesday after the Pakistan Cricket Board denied renewal for 2025, sparking a public rift over compliance and criticisms. The Lahore-based decision ends Tareen’s tenure since 2021 and leaves the PSL’s most successful side in limbo ahead of expansion plans.
Ripple Effects Across South Asian Cricket
This development underscores deeper fractures in Pakistan’s cricket administration, where owner dissent clashes with board authority. In South Asia, where the PSL commands 200 million viewers annually and injects PKR 10 billion into local economies, such rifts risk eroding investor confidence and fan trust. Stability in the league bolsters regional T20 standards, influencing formats from IPL to BBL, but unchecked disputes could deter future bids and stunt growth in emerging markets like Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
The Rift Ignites: PSL Franchise Rift Ali Tareen PCB
Tensions between Ali Tareen and the PCB simmered for months before erupting into the Ali Tareen exits Multan Sultans PSL saga. In October 2025, Tareen received a formal notice from PSL management threatening franchise cancellation unless he issued a public apology for critiques on league transparency. He responded with a video message, sarcastically apologising for “wanting to make the PSL better” while tearing up the notice, a gesture that amplified the PSL franchise rift Ali Tareen PCB.
The PCB viewed Tareen’s outspokenness as non-compliance, a threshold for renewal eligibility. Sources close to the board noted his repeated calls for better communication and scheduling fell on deaf ears, escalating to exclusion from key financial meetings in November. By mid-November, while Islamabad United and Karachi Kings secured 10-year extensions, Multan Sultans stood alone without an offer.
Tareen’s history of candour dates back to his uncle Alamgir Khan Tareen’s founding of the franchise in 2015. After Alamgir’s passing in 2021, Ali stepped in, inheriting a team that embodied South Punjab’s grit. Under his watch, Multan Sultans clinched playoff spots consistently, nurturing talents like Mohammad Rizwan and Saim Ayub. Yet, financial strains mounted, with Tareen absorbing annual losses exceeding PKR 500 million to sustain operations.
Denial Confirmed: Multan Sultans Owner No Renewal 2025
The PCB’s stance crystallised on 14 November 2025, when it confirmed renewal offers and a 25% franchise fee hike went to “all compliant PSL franchises.” Multan Sultans, valued at PKR 1.2 billion in recent appraisals, received nothing, isolating it amid the league’s push to eight teams by 2026.
A PSL spokesperson declined direct comment on compliance but emphasised that rights of first refusal apply solely to those meeting operational standards. Tareen, attending virtual stakeholder meets on player acquisition and formats, found himself sidelined from valuation discussions, a clear signal of the Multan Sultans owner no renewal 2025 reality.
In his farewell address on X, Tareen poured out raw emotion. “Despite the financial losses year after year, I never once thought about walking away,” he wrote. “The Sultans have always meant more to me than just numbers.” He lambasted the compromise demanded: “I would rather lose this team while standing on my feet than run it from my knees. So, this is goodbye.”
Fans flooded replies with support, amassing over 6,500 likes within hours. One user echoed regional pride: “South Punjab loses a warrior today.” The post underscored Tareen’s dual role as owner and advocate, having established academies in Lodhran that produced U19 champion Shaharbano just weeks prior.
Background: From Glory to Gridlock
Multan Sultans entered the PSL in 2016 as South Punjab’s beacon, quickly rising to dominance. The franchise reached finals in 2020 and 2021, blending local talent with international stars like Jimmy Neesham. Tareen’s era amplified this, with investments in youth development yielding PSL draft picks and national team call-ups.
Yet, the PSL franchise rift Ali Tareen PCB traces to broader league woes. Owners like Tareen pushed for auctions over drafts to empower bidding wars, a proposal he formally tabled in early November. Such reforms aimed to mirror IPL success, potentially doubling revenues to PKR 20 billion per season. PCB resistance, coupled with opaque fee structures, bred resentment.
Data from PCB filings shows franchise fees jumped from PKR 800 million in 2015 to PKR 1 billion baselines today, but compliance clauses covering media rights and sponsor adherence grew stringent. Tareen’s critiques, including a November video decrying “Buzdar of PCB” inefficiencies, tipped the scales.
In South Asia’s cricket landscape, this mirrors tensions elsewhere. Bangladesh’s BPL faced similar owner-board clashes in 2024, leading to mid-season disruptions. For Pakistan, home to 220 million cricket enthusiasts, the PSL generates PKR 5 billion in tourism alone, per 2024 audits. A destabilised Multan risks fan boycotts, especially in Punjab where the team draws 40% attendance.
What’s Next: Bidding Wars and Expansion Shadows
The PCB plans a fresh tender for Multan Sultans rights, with bids opening post-10-day response windows for others. Potential suitors include Gulf investors eyeing PSL’s 30% broadcast growth. New teams from Faisalabad, Sialkot, and Rawalpindi join by April 2026, diluting focus but promising PKR 2 billion in added fees.
Tareen hinted at legal recourse in prior interviews, vowing to “fight injustice.” Meanwhile, he pledged stands-side support, preserving his superfan status.
As PSL gears for its 11th edition, the board must balance control with collaboration. Franchises renewed amid the furore, Lahore Qalandars on 23 November, Peshawar Zalmi earlier signal continuity, but the Multan void looms large.
In the end, Ali Tareen exits Multan Sultans PSL not as a defeated figure, but a principled voice echoing through Pakistan’s cricket corridors, urging reforms that could redefine the league’s future.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, November 26th, 2025
Follow SouthAsianDesk on X, Instagram, and Facebook for insights on business and current affairs from across South Asia.
