According to ESPNcricinfo, the proposal has the support of senior officials within the PCB and the PSL, with final approval required from PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi. The renewed boost in sales was boosted by the high prices fetched by the two newly added franchises, Hyderabad and Sialkot, which sold for PKR 1.75 billion and PKR 1.85 billion respectively.
The auction exceeded PCB’s expectations, with franchise fees nearly three times higher than those of Lahore Qalandars, previously the most valuable PSL team. This has convinced PSL officials that the current market conditions provide an ideal opportunity to secure the highest possible valuation for Multan Sultans.
Multan Sultans is an established franchise, having competed in eight PSL seasons and won the title in 2021. PSL chief executive Salman Naseer revealed that he had advised Naqvi to complete the sale of the franchise before the start of the upcoming season. However, a final decision has yet to be made.
Last month, Naqvi had stated that the PCB would temporarily take over Multan Sultans for this year’s PSL, scheduled from late March to early May. That time frame has since passed, with no announcements made about officials who would oversee the franchise. Naqvi explained at the time that Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules prevented the franchise from being included in the auction, citing insufficient advertising time to properly prepare for the sale.
The initial postponement was intended to secure a higher rating if the 11th edition of the PSL proved successful. However, recent auction results suggest franchise values ​​could be higher than previously expected. If the PCB goes ahead with the sale before the tournament starts, the process will have to be completed quickly.
The PSL starts on March 26, but there is no clarity yet on the timing of the player draw or auction. There also remains uncertainty over the number of players existing franchises will be allowed to retain and whether the selections will be finalized through a draft or auction.
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