Ali Tareen Declines to Renew Multan Sultans’ PSL Contract

News Desk 

Islamabad: Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen on Tuesday announced that he will not renew the franchise’s contract for the Pakistan Super League (PSL), ending his tenure with the 2021 champions after a turbulent year marked by financial losses and tensions with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

In a detailed statement posted on X, Tareen said the decision came after years of sustaining repeated financial setbacks, but more importantly, to avoid compromising his principles. He wrote that he would “rather lose his team while standing on my feet than run it from my knees.”

His exit comes as all five other PSL franchises — Lahore Qalandars, Islamabad United, Quetta Gladiators, Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings — have agreed to extend their contracts for another decade.

Reflecting on his emotional bond with the team, Tareen said representing South Punjab was “one of the greatest honours” of his life, noting that it was something his late uncle, former owner Alamgir Tareen, cherished deeply. He praised the region’s resilience, saying its people “work hard, fight for their rights, and push through challenges every single day.”

Tareen said he had always told players that fans would forgive defeat but not the absence of effort, a philosophy he said shaped the team’s culture both on and off the field.

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Despite persistent financial losses, Tareen said he never considered stepping aside until recent months. He stressed that he had always spoken his mind and refused to “play it safe” — a stance he implied cost him his place in the league. “If staying means compromising those principles, there is only one choice I can make,” he said.

His farewell also addressed fans directly, stating that the Multan Sultans “belong to South Punjab,” urging them to continue supporting the team under new ownership. He added he would continue backing the franchise from the stands.

Tareen’s departure follows a series of public disagreements with the PCB and PSL management. Earlier this year, he criticised the board over the venue controversy for PSL 10’s draft and openly mocked the selection of the league’s anthem artist. He also questioned PCB’s branding of the 10th edition as the “best ever.”

These public remarks led the PCB to issue a legal notice to the franchise for alleged violations of its 10-year contract. Sources indicated the franchise risked contract revocation, and Tareen himself could face blacklisting if he failed to comply with the board’s demands.

The Sultans later revealed that the PCB had asked Tareen to retract his statements and issue a public apology. Hours after the franchise’s disclosure, Tareen posted a sarcastic “apology video,” criticising the PSL’s management before tearing up the PCB’s legal notice — a final, dramatic act of defiance.

“This is goodbye,” Tareen concluded in his statement, leaving the future of the Multan Sultans’ ownership open ahead of the next PSL cycle.