The Pakistan Cricket Board is expected to earn over Rs. 2 billion from the sale of the Multan Sultans franchise, with strong interest from both local and international investors ahead of the auction. Several potential buyers have expressed serious interest even before bidding began, while the former owners of Multan Sultans have also shown a desire to regain ownership of the team.
The franchise agreement with the previous owners was not renewed due to disputes with the PCB. Initially, the board planned to operate Multan Sultans itself for the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League. However, after successfully selling two new teams at high prices, the PCB decided to put Multan Sultans up for sale. Hyderabad was sold for Rs. 1.75 billion and Sialkot was awarded a franchise at Rs. 1.85 billion per year, prompting the PCB to issue an advertisement for Multan Sultans. The deadline for submitting technical bids is Friday.
Sources indicate that interest in the franchise remains strong, with two companies reportedly willing to bid up to Rs. 2 billion. The final ownership will be determined through a competitive auction process. The former owners also expressed interest in buying back the team and had participated in the bidding for the two new franchises. The PCB required them to clear outstanding dues to remain eligible, which they paid immediately.
During the previous process, the former owners asked if they could select a team name outside the options provided by the PCB. They were told this would be possible only after paying a $1 million fee and receiving PCB approval. Minutes before the auction, they withdrew from bidding. They later approached a senior PCB official to request the franchise back for Rs. 1.35 billion, claiming the team rightfully belonged to them. PCB officials rejected the request, stating that the only way to regain ownership was to participate in the official auction and submit the highest bid.
After the PCB announced the auction, some stakeholders questioned the timing of the sale, given the earlier decision to operate the franchise directly. PCB officials confirmed that the sale was necessary and stood by their decision. The name of the new Multan Sultans owner is expected to be announced soon. The franchise’s previous annual fee was approximately Rs. 1.08 billion.
