Pakistan Cricket Drama: PSL Side Multan Sultans Owner Tears Up PCB Legal Notice

Pakistan Super League (PSL) side Multan Sultans' owner Ali Tareen publicly tore up a legal notice from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a recorded video on Thursday, October 23. The notice threatened to blacklist Tareen and end his PSL franchise contract, following his repeated criticism of the league's management.

The dispute between Tareen and the PCB escalated and became public on Thursday, when revelations emerged that the board had sent him a notice. The PCB demanded that Tareen publicly retract and apologise for his critical remarks about the PSL's operations, making his continued franchise contract conditional on this apology.

Tareen, from a powerful and wealthy business and political family, had repeatedly questioned the PSL's perceived success and criticised its management on social media and podcasts. He once stated that the PSL had become the fifth or sixth-ranked league due to incompetent people managing it.

Tareen's Defiant Video Response

After receiving the notice last month and its subsequent public disclosure, Tareen released a video on social media, going all guns blazing. The trending footage has captured his defiant response, openly mocking PCB officials.

In the video, Tareen sarcastically offered an apology, simultaneously criticising PCB and PSL officials before tearing up the legal notice and declaring, "This is my apology".

This act strongly suggests the PCB will face an imminent legal battle, as Tareen appears unwilling to back down. Online, a significant majority supported his stance.

This is the latest drama to engulf Pakistani cricket and PCB, as the board has been involved in a tussle with the BCCI over handing over the Asia Cup 2025 trophy, which India had won.

Financial Stakes Involved

Well-placed sources suggest that the PCB issued the notice because Tareen breached specific clauses in his contract with the board. Several individuals speculated that Tareen criticised the PSL as it completed its tenth year. These critics believe he aimed to devalue its worth for the next decade.

Multan Sultans pays an annual fee of USD 6.35 million to the PCB, making it the most expensive among the six franchises. According to Tareen, Multan Sultans has thus far spent INR 700 crore (PKR 7 billion) on PSL-related cricket activities.

(With PTI Inputs)