Former Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen has pulled out of today’s bidding for one of the two new Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises, announcing the decision only moments before the auction got under way in Islamabad.
“After careful consideration, my family and I have decided not to participate in today’s PSL franchise auction,” Tareen posted on X (formerly Twitter). “Our time with Multan Sultans was never just about owning a cricket team. It was about South Punjab. If I come back to PSL, it has to be for the same reason. South Punjab is where my heart is. It is home. When the Multan team is being sold, we’ll be ready. Wishing all the bidders the best.”
Those words end a week in which Tareen had openly canvassed supporters for potential team names and, by most accounts, had travelled to the capital fully prepared to lodge a bid. By the time his withdrawal became public, most of the nine remaining bidders were already in the room, fielding questions from reporters rather than wondering who might not turn up.
What’s on offer
• Two fresh franchises will join the league from 2026, taking the competition to eight sides.
• Successful owners may choose from six “preferred” home bases – Faisalabad, Sialkot, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Gilgit or Muzaffarabad – or pay roughly US$1 million more to badge the team elsewhere.
• The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is handling today’s process and will run Multan Sultans itself this season, following last year’s well-publicised standoff with Tareen’s ownership group.
Why Tareen blinked
No one in his camp would spell out the late change of heart, though privately some point to unfinished business with the Sultans. Tareen’s tenure from 2018 to 2024 cultivated a strong South Punjab identity; walking away last winter, he insisted any future involvement had to preserve that focus. Commercial as well as emotional factors are likely at play. Buying an expansion team means building a brand, a squad and a fan base from scratch. Regaining Multan, by contrast, offers a ready-made platform.
A senior PSL official, speaking on background, said the auction would “proceed as scheduled”, adding that the league welcomed “all genuine investors, old or new”. With Tareen gone, attention shifts to which groups secure the vacant licences and how much they are willing to pay in a market still gauging the true value of Pakistani T20 cricket.
Context for supporters
Nine bidders chasing two slots suggests demand remains healthy, yet the real story may unfold after this season when Multan finally goes back on the block. Tareen has made his intentions plain. Whether sentiment alone can sway the numbers – and the PCB – is something both fans and financiers will watch closely.
