Pakistan's Cricket Team Suspended; PCB Takes Strict Action

In a latest development, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a termination notice to Multan Sultans, one of the well-known teams in PSL. The news of Pakistan cricket team suspended has taken the cricketing world by storm. This comes ahead of the next season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and we might not see Multan Sultans playing in the 2026 edition of the league.

It is a huge blow to the PSL as Multan Sultans is one of the best teams in the league. They are the three-time runners-up and even won the title once in 2021. The franchise has one of the best wicketkeepers in the world, Mohammad Rizwan, who is also the captain of the team.

Why is Multan Sultans Suspended?

The decision to terminate Multan Sultans came after their owner, Ali Tareen came up with the harsh public criticism. The reports claimed that PCB sent the termination notice over an alleged breach of contract, which was linked to Tareen's recent statements against the Board.

Tareen openly took a jibe at PCB over their policies and the league's management. During an interaction on podcasts and social media platforms, where he expressed his disappointment over PSL’s operational structure and also shared some harsh words against some officials.

He had said: “How is PSL 10 bigger and better? Same games, same teams – what’s new? Fed up with hollow words. PCB had time to plan innovations, but we’re repeating last year. Our biggest brand deserves more. Explain the vision!”

Over the years, Pakistan Super League has grown into one of the biggest cricket leagues in the world. However, the Multan Sultans PSL suspension is likely to shake up the league.

What will be PCB's Next Step Now?

The reports claimed that the PCB didn't given any reactions initially and decided to let the matter go away. However, they finally lost their patience and decided to take action on the team owner. They stated that Tareen’s remarks violated the franchise's contractual obligations.

The termination notice sent by the PCB to Multan Sultans acts as both a suspension and a warning. The reports claimed that if the dispute isn’t resolved, then the governing body will be cutting all ties and will be looking for a new owner for Multan Sultans.

This, however, won't be the first time that Multan Sultans have faced termination. The franchise, which was initially owned by Schon Properties and made its debut in 2017, got its contract terminated just a year later due to non-payment of fees.

This saw Ali Tareen taking over the team in 2018. But years later, they are also struggling with significant financial pressure. Despite being the most expensive franchise in the league with an annual fee of approximately 1.25 billion rupees, they have been dealing with losses.

Multan Sultans in PSL 2025

Multan Sultans had struggled to get going in the last edition of PSL. They had a terrible campaign under the leadership of Mohammad Rizwan as they managed just one win throughout the entire tournament, finishing in the last spot in the points table. With the team also receiving a termination notice, it remains to be seen what is their future will be in the PSL.

The Sultans are one-time PSL champion as they won the title back in 2021. However, they were unlucky to finish as runners-up for three consecutive years from 2022 to 2024.