By Staff Reporter
LAHORE: Pakistan’s cricket board on Wednesday invited bids for the ownerless Multan Sultans franchise in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), opening the door for new investors just weeks after expanding the popular Twenty20 tournament with two additional teams.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took over the Multan side last month after its previous owner, businessman Ali Tareen, stepped away in November when the board declined to extend his renewal offer. The PCB said it would manage the franchise temporarily for the upcoming 11th edition of the PSL, set to run from March 26 to May 3, but has now put it up for auction to secure a long-term owner.
Technical proposals for the bid must be submitted by January 30, 2026, at 3:00 pm, according to a PCB announcement posted on social media. In a detailed advertisement, the PCB described the opportunity as a chance for prospective investors “to participate in the new era of HBL PSL”. “Having been an integral part of the HBL PSL since its third edition in 2018, Multan already enjoys an established presence and following within the HBL PSL, presenting a compelling opportunity for investors to build on its legacy and take team Multan to unprecedented heights in the HBL PSL,” the advertisement stated.
The move follows the PCB’s recent auction last week, where two new franchises were added to the league for the first time since its inception in 2016. OZ Developers submitted the highest bid of Rs1.85 billion to secure the Sialkot franchise, while the FKS Group won the rights to Hyderabad with a Rs1.75 billion offer during the auction held on Thursday. The PCB had initially put six cities up for potential franchise allocation: Faisalabad, Gilgit, Hyderabad, Muzaffarabad, Rawalpindi and Sialkot. The expansion brings the total number of teams to eight, joining the existing lineup of Lahore Qalandars, Islamabad United, Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators, Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans.
Multan Sultans, representing southern Punjab, have been a mainstay in the PSL since joining in 2018, winning the title in 2021 and finishing as runners-up in 2022 and 2023. Tareen, son of influential politician Jahangir Tareen, had owned the franchise since 2018 alongside Alamgir Khan Tareen, who passed away in 2023. Just hours before last week’s auction was due to start, Tareen announced on social media that he and his family would not be taking part in the bidding process. “Our time with Multan Sultans was never just about owning a cricket team. It was about south Punjab,” he wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.”[It was] about giving a voice to a region that had been overlooked for too long. That’s what drove everything we built.”
The PCB’s decision not to renew Tareen’s contract stemmed from ongoing negotiations over financial terms and league rights, though officials have not publicly detailed the specifics. With the league’s growing popularity, drawing massive crowds and international stars like Australia’s David Warner and England’s Jason Roy in past seasons, the PCB aims to capitalize on fresh investment to elevate the PSL’s global profile.Bidders for Multan Sultans will be evaluated on their financial capability, vision for the team and commitment to developing cricket in the region, the advertisement indicated.
The PCB has not set a minimum bid amount but emphasized the franchise’s strong fan base in Multan and surrounding areas, where the team plays home matches at the Multan Cricket Stadium. The upcoming PSL season will feature 34 matches across four venues: Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Multan, with the final slated for May 3 in Lahore. League officials expect the addition of Sialkot and Hyderabad to intensify competition and broaden the PSL’s reach into new markets, potentially boosting revenues from broadcasting rights and sponsorships. The HBL PSL, sponsored by Habib Bank Limited, has become one of Asia’s premier T20 leagues, rivaling India’s IPL in attracting top talent despite security concerns that once forced early editions to be held entirely in the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan resumed hosting full PSL seasons at home in 2020, a milestone for the country’s cricket revival after a decade marred by a 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore.
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