Multan Sultans on Thin Ice: PCB Threatens to Kick Them Out of PSL

Just when you thought the Pakistan Super League (PSL) couldn’t get any more dramatic, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decides to stir the pot. This time, they’ve set their sights on the Multan Sultans, slapping them with a suspension and a termination notice. Why? Apparently, the team’s owner, Ali Tareen, forgot the golden rule: don’t bite the hand that feeds you. His recent public critiques of the PCB’s policies have landed his franchise in some seriously hot water.

It’s a classic tale of power dynamics. An owner speaks his mind, and the governing body, in a move that screams “thou shalt not question us,” brings down the hammer. Now, the future of one of the league’s most recognizable teams hangs in the balance, creating a cloud of uncertainty that could rain on the entire PSL parade.

Why is Multan Getting the Boot?

So, what exactly did Ali Tareen say to get the PCB so worked up? He took to social media and podcasts to air his grievances about the PSL‘s operational structure and certain officials. You know, the kind of stuff fans and insiders probably mutter about over chai, but he said the quiet part out loud. The PCB, after a period of what I can only assume was seething silence, decided they’d had enough. They’ve labeled Tareen’s comments a “breach of contract,” which is corporate-speak for “you embarrassed us, and now you must pay.”

This notice is both a suspension and a final warning. It’s the PCB’s way of saying, “Sort this out quietly, or we’ll find a new owner for your team before you can say ‘PSL 11′.” If this isn’t resolved amicably, the board is fully prepared to cut ties and start auctioning off the Multan franchise to the highest bidder. Talk about a power play.

A Turbulent History for the Multan Sultans

If you’re getting a sense of déjà vu, you’re not wrong. This isn’t the first time the Multan Sultans have been on the brink of collapse. The franchise has a history more unstable than a Jenga tower in an earthquake. They burst onto the PSL scene in 2017 as the league’s shiny new sixth team, originally owned by Schon Properties. That partnership lasted all of one year before the PCB terminated the contract over—you guessed it—unpaid fees.

Enter the Tareen family, who swooped in to acquire the rights in 2018. But owning the Multan Sultans hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park. As the most expensive franchise in the league, with a staggering annual fee of around 1.25 billion rupees, they’ve been bleeding money year after year. It’s a tough pill to swallow when you’re shelling out a fortune only to face consistent financial losses.

To add insult to financial injury, their on-field performance in the 2025 season was a complete disaster. The Mohammad Rizwan-led squad managed just a single win in ten matches, finishing dead last. It’s hard to stay afloat when your team is losing money and matches. If the PCB finalizes this termination, the current owners will be barred from even bidding for a new team, adding a final, bitter twist to this whole saga. It’s a rough ride for a team that, despite its troubles, has a passionate fanbase.

The situation is a mess, and it leaves everyone wondering what’s next. Will Multan find a way to reconcile with the PCB, or will we see a new owner and a completely new identity for the team? One thing’s for sure: the drama in the PSL happens just as much off the field as it does on it.