PCB invites bids for Multan Sultans franchise rights ahead of PSL 11

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday has formally invited bids for the ownership rights of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Multan Sultans, issuing an advertisement to attract interested parties.

According to the PCB, prospective bidders may submit bids for the franchise rights of the 2021 champions.

The deadline for the submission of documents for technical proposals has been set for 30 January. Only bidders who qualify on technical grounds will progress to the next stage of the bidding process.

Earlier, reports had suggested that the PCB was considering auctioning the Multan Sultans franchise following the strong valuations achieved in the recent sale of two new PSL teams. 

Last month, the board announced that it would assume control of Multan Sultans after the expiry of the existing ownership agreement on 31 December 2025.

Under the initial plan, the PCB was expected to operate the franchise for one year before putting it up for sale through an auction in 2027. 

If implemented, this arrangement was projected to save the board approximately $4 million annually, as it would not be required to contribute $3 million from the central revenue pool or an additional $1 million in sponsorship funding. 

However, an audit report noted that the PCB would forgo the $8.5 million franchise fee for that year.

In November, Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen announced via social media that he was stepping away from the franchise. 

Sources indicated that relations between Tareen and the PCB had remained strained over the past year, eventually reaching an irreparable stage.

Multan Sultans were originally awarded as the sixth PSL franchise to the Schon Group under a $5.2 million agreement, making it the most expensive team at the time—double the acquisition cost of Karachi Kings, which stood at $2.6 million.

The decision to move towards a sale comes after the PCB secured robust valuations in the recent auction of two new franchises, Hyderabad and Sialkot, increasing the total number of teams in PSL 11 to eight.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, speaking at a media conference on 28 December, confirmed that the board will operate Multan Sultans for the upcoming 11th edition of the PSL, scheduled to run from 26 March to 3 May 2026, before initiating the auction process.

“Multan Sultans will be operated by the PCB this year. Once the PSL concludes, we will carry out the auction and put the franchise up for sale. For this season, the board will run the Sultans,” Naqvi said.

He further revealed that an interim management structure would be put in place shortly.

“We will appoint an acting head within the next eight to ten days to oversee the team. A professional cricketer will also be brought in to manage Multan Sultans for this season,” he added.

The PSL, which began in 2016 with five teams and expanded to six in 2018, is set for further growth with the addition of two new franchises in its 11th edition.

The recent landmark auction, held at the Jinnah Convention Centre, saw FKS Group and OZ Developers acquire the Hyderabad and Sialkot franchises for Rs1.75 billion and Rs1.85 billion, respectively.