NEW DELHI: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) finds itself in the middle of a major conflict as the owner of the Multan Sultans, Ali Khan Tareen, has publicly defied a legal notice from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The PCB has accused him of breaching several clauses in their 10-year contract.
PCB's Ultimatum and Blacklisting Threat
The Multan Sultans franchise revealed the severe nature of the PCB's demands. In a formal statement, the team detailed the threat issued by the PCB management:
"The PCB last month sent a legal notice to Multan Sultans, demanding that our owner Ali Tareen retracts all recent critical statements and issues a public apology to the PSL management. The notice threatens termination of our franchise agreement and a lifetime blacklist of Mr. Tareen from owning any cricket team in the future."
Tareen has been an outspoken critic of the PSL management, frequently raising concerns about a lack of transparency and poor communication.
Tareen's Stance: Criticizing 'Pettiness'
The PSL Management has sent me a notice threatening to cancel Multan Sultans unless I offer them a public apology. Hazir Saeen. pic.twitter.com/yHWCcClXaD
— Ali Khan Tareen (@aliktareen) October 23, 2025
Instead of issuing the demanded public apology, Tareen took to social media platform X to deliver a viral, theatrical response. He addressed the management’s failure to engage in direct dialogue, stating:
"For the PCB management to treat constructive criticism as a crime is outrageous. It demonstrates the pettiness of the current management and clearly shows that the PSL is not open questions or accountability, even from those who have given the most to make it stronger. Silencing honest feedback is not how great leagues are built."
"Instead I was served a legal notice. If you were more competent, you would know these matters aren't handled this way." he added.
Meanwhle, the team firmly backed their owner, slamming the PCB for its strong-arm approach and refusal to accept accountability:
"For the PCB management to treat constructive criticism as a crime is outrageous. It demonstrates the pettiness of the current management and clearly shows that the PSL is not open questions or accountability, even from those who have given the most to make it stronger. Silencing honest feedback is not how great leagues are built." Multan Sultans said in a statement.
