The Pakistan Cricket Board is expected to earn more than Rs 2 billion from the sale of the Multan Sultans franchise, with strong interest already visible ahead of the auction.
Sources say several local and foreign parties have shown serious interest even before the bidding process formally begins. The former owners of Multan Sultans are also looking to regain control of the team.
The franchise agreement was not extended earlier due to differences between the PCB and the previous owners. At one stage, the board had announced that it would run Multan Sultans itself for the eleventh edition of the Pakistan Super League. That plan was later dropped.
The shift came after the PCB successfully sold two new franchises at higher than expected prices. Hyderabad was sold for Rs 1.75 billion, while Sialkot was awarded a franchise at an annual fee of Rs 1.85 billion. Soon after, the board advertised the sale of Multan Sultans. The deadline for submitting technical bids is Friday.
According to sources, interest in the franchise remains strong. At least two companies are said to be ready to bid close to Rs 2 billion. The outcome will depend on the competitive auction process.
The former owners are also part of the story. They had earlier participated in the bidding for the two new teams. During that process, the PCB told them that outstanding dues would have to be cleared to remain eligible. The amount was paid immediately.
Sources said the former owners later asked whether they could select a team name outside the PCB approved options. They were informed this would only be possible after depositing a one million dollar fee, subject to approval. Minutes before the auction, they pulled out.
Later, the former owner reportedly met a senior PCB official and requested the franchise be returned for Rs 1.35 billion, arguing the team originally belonged to them. The PCB rejected the request.
Officials made it clear that ownership had ended and the only way back was through the auction, with the highest bid deciding the winner.
After the auction was officially announced, some stakeholders questioned why the PCB chose to sell the team this year after earlier planning to operate it directly. Board officials defended the move.
The name of the new Multan Sultans owner is expected to be announced in the coming days. The franchise previously carried an annual fee of around Rs 1.08 billion.
