Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen has yet to receive an official offer from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) to renew his franchise ownership.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that renewal offers, along with new franchise fees, were sent to “all compliant PSL franchises.”
However, according to ESPNcricinfo, Sultans were not among the franchises to receive such an offer.
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According to the cricketing website, other PSL franchises confirmed that they had received renewal offers following a meeting between PSL management and the franchise owners, including Tareen, on Thursday.
Each of the other five franchises has been given the opportunity to extend their ownership for an additional ten years.
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While the Sultans were invited to meetings regarding scheduling and operations of the upcoming PSL, they claim they were excluded from discussions related to finances.
A PSL spokesperson declined to comment on whether the Sultans’ lack of a renewal offer was due to potential non-compliance.
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The dispute between Tareen and the PSL surfaced publicly ahead of the 10th edition of the tournament, when Tareen criticised the league for what he described as a lack of transparency and communication.
Tensions escalated in the following months, with the PSL even threatening to blacklist Tareen unless he issued a public apology.
In response, Tareen released a sarcastic video apology in which he mocked the PCB for “wanting to make the PSL better” and ended the video by tearing up a notice he had received from the board.
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However, the PCB appears to have dismissed the public apology as insufficient.
The board has clarified that only “compliant” franchises are eligible for renewal, implying that Tareen’s public criticisms may have affected the Sultans’ status.
Franchises receiving renewal offers have ten days to respond, and all will face higher annual franchise fees, at least 25% higher than the current amount.
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Fees are likely to be calculated based on the new franchise valuations, whichever is greater.
Next season, the PSL will expand to eight teams, with potential new teams can be named after Hyderabad, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad, Faisalabad, Gilgit, or Rawalpindi.
The two cities for the new teams will be chosen ahead of the tournament, which is scheduled to take place in April and May 2026.
Addressing social media speculation, Tareen clarified that he cannot comment on the status of the Sultans’ players, as he does not yet know whether his team will participate in PSL 11.
