Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has suspended the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Multan Sultans over alleged violations of the franchise agreement.
According to sources, the PCB has issued a formal notice to the franchise, citing breach of contract.
The notice, sent after fulfilling all legal requirements, includes a suspension warning and the possibility of contract termination.
PCB sources revealed that the franchise owner, Ali Tareen, repeatedly criticized the PCB and PSL management in various interviews, which damaged the reputation of both the Board and the league.
As a result, the PCB took serious notice and decided to suspend the franchise.
Reports suggest that further legal action may follow.
A TV channel, citing inside sources, made shocking claims that during PSL matches, the Multan Sultans’ management allegedly instructed fast bowlers to target opposing players’ heads and deliberately injure them—actions that violate the spirit, ethics, and discipline of the game.
The channel alleged that such tactics were used to help the team advance in the tournament.
Ali Tareen, the owner of the Multan Sultans franchise and given a reply of the notice sent by the PCB.
Tareen has said that he felt sorry over the notice sent by the PCB.
He said that he intended the betterment of the cricket infrastructure through PSL.
Tareen stressed that his media talks were never meant to be taken as criticism but for aiming corrections .
He bore a massive financial loss of 7 billion rupees for PSL.
He alleged that the PSL administration is not willing to answer his concerns .
It is worth mentioning that Multan Sultans made a powerful debut in the PSL, winning their first tournament.
Under captain Mohammad Rizwan, the team finished as runner-up in the following two seasons. In the most recent edition, however, the franchise performed poorly, exiting before the playoffs, while Lahore Qalandars clinched their third PSL title.
It is worth mentioning that the next edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is scheduled to take place between April and May next year.
This time, there are strong possibilities that the event will feature eight teams instead of six, with new franchises from Hyderabad and Faisalabad expected to join.
The inclusion of these new teams aims to provide greater opportunities for local players to participate in the country’s premier cricket tournament and to bring forward the best talent from different regions.
The addition of the Hyderabad and Faisalabad franchises will likely be finalized through a formal bidding process.
