By Staff Reporter
LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League is gearing up for its largest expansion in years with two new teams and two additional venues slated for the next edition, PSL chief executive Salman Naseer said on Friday, even as a row escalated between the league’s management and one franchise owner over public criticism.
Speaking on a podcast released by the Pakistan Cricket Board, Salman said the board was “very seriously considering moving on to six venues this time,” adding that “HBL PSL 11, God willing, will be played across six venues.”
He said the long-forgotten Imran Khan Stadium, formerly Arbab Niaz Stadium, in Peshawar was “almost ready,” but required some final upgrades before it could host matches of international standard. “We are certainly trying to prepare it for PSL 11,” he said. “But what we need also is for the lease agreement to take place. For us to invest significantly as the PCB in this venue, we need to have a long-term lease in place.”
Salman confirmed that Faisalabad was also being lined up as the other new host city. “The other venue, as people may have already guessed, since there are international matches scheduled there, is going to be Faisalabad,” he added.
On the league’s expansion plans, the PSL chief said the PCB was targeting two new franchises for the next season, with the tender process for team sales to begin in November. “There is a lot of interest and we are very keen to explore that interest,” he said. “And how things look right now, it seems there’s going to be a lot of competition here too.”
The PSL, which began in 2016 with five teams, expanded to six franchises with the addition of Multan Sultans in 2018. The inclusion of two more sides would mark its first major restructuring in seven years and push the total number of teams to eight.
Salman’s revelations come a day after it emerged that the PCB had sent a legal notice to PSL franchise owner Ali Khan Tareen threatening termination of the franchise agreement with the board. The PCB is unimpressed by Ali’s criticism of the PSL management for what he believed was incompetence to improve the league as a brand.
Tensions Flare With Multan Sultan
While Multan Sultans said on Thursday the “PCB management to treat constructive criticism as a crime is outrageous”, Ali released an acerbic video late on Thursday defending himself and apparently tearing apart the notice to conclude it.
Tareen hit out at the Super League management, stating he is “unhappy at their mediocre mindset” after his franchise was issued a legal notice threatening suspension over breach of contractual obligations. Earlier in the day, the PSL management had acted following repeated public statements by Tareen criticising the Pakistan Cricket Board and PSL, and had sought a public apology if the latter wished to avoid legal proceedings.
The move marked a significant escalation in the simmering tensions between the board and the Multan franchise. Tareen then posted a video on social media platform X on Thursday night, in which he could be seen holding what seemed to be the legal notice sent by the PSL management, saying he wanted to apologise but demanded better of the league organisers. Making sharp remarks targeted the PSL management, he ended the video by tearing up what seemed to be the legal notice he had received.
Tareen had stoked the fire in April when he shared a podcast clip on X questioning the PCB’s pre-season build-up. “How is PSL 10 bigger and better? Same games, same teams – what’s new? Fed up with hollow words. PCB had time to plan innovations, but we’re repeating last year. Our biggest brand deserves more. Explain the vision!”
A few days later, he sought to clarify his stance amid backlash from other franchise owners, posting: “I love PSL — it’s a MADE-IN-PAKISTAN success story we all benefit from. My words were about pushing for real growth, not negativity. Salman Naseer & PCB team are giving their all. Let’s unite as owners to back them and elevate the league. No more stagnation!”
However, the tensions persisted. In July, Ali renewed his criticism in response to a PCB post-season debrief video celebrating PSL 10’s “success”. “Applause? You must be kidding. TV ratings down, attendance plummeting, digital engagement slowing — yet we’re celebrating? PCB, wake up. PSL deserves better planning, not self-congratulation. Time to fix these issues before it’s too late.”
A PCB official said the repeated statements “damaged the league’s reputation and violated the terms of the agreement”. The board’s notice reportedly outlines specific clauses of the franchise agreement that were breached. PCB officials maintained that the board remains committed to upholding the integrity and professional standards of the PSL.
A Multan Sultans spokesperson said “the PCB last month sent a legal notice, which is not a notice of termination”. “The notice threatens termination of our franchise agreement and a lifetime blacklist of Tareen from owning any cricket team in the future,” a statement by the franchise said later. “Every statement he (Tareen) has made has been in the best interest of the PSL, urging the league to aim higher and do better.”
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