Mohsin Naqvi Threatens PSL Sponsors, Investors After PCB Fails To Clear Team Dues

Mohsin Naqvi [Source: AFP]

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has always been known for its mix of excitement, drama, and controversy. This year, PSL 2026 ended on a high note as Peshawar Zalmi won their first title by defeating Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets in the final. 

However, just two days after the tournament ended, a serious issue emerged. The PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, has taken a strict position against PSL sponsors and investors.

PCB gives warning to PSL stakeholders

Notably, the Mohsin Naqvi-led PCB has now started a strong recovery campaign against all stakeholders who have not cleared their payments. This decision came after several reminders were ignored. 

Furthermore, official notices were sent to several parties, including early PSL franchises. These notices clearly mentioned a deadline of April 29 for clearing dues. It was also stated that failure to pay could lead to termination of contracts. As a result of this warning, some franchises quickly cleared their outstanding payments.

Despite these efforts, a large amount of money is still pending. PCB officials, led by Mohsin Naqvi stated that franchise fees are compulsory under the agreements signed by all parties.

Mohsin Naqvi's PCB yet to clear franchises outstanding dues

When questioned about the unpaid PKR 400 million owed to each franchise, officials explained that payments cannot be made unless the board receives money from other stakeholders first. The source said, “How can we pay you until we receive payments from other stakeholders?”

In the past, there was a system where franchises would pay part of their fees, and the remaining amount would be adjusted from the central revenue pool. However, this time, the Pakistan board has changed its approach and is insisting on full and timely payments.

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Meanwhile, new teams and the new owner of Multan Sultans have already paid their franchise fees in advance. However, since this is their first year, they will not receive any share from previous revenue pools.

Previously, team owners who bought franchises at high prices were promised at least PKR 850 million per year from the central pool for the first five years. However, the final amount will only be decided once all financial accounts are fully settled.

Pakistan Cricket Board takes new measures

Notably for the PSL 2025 season, each franchise was supposed to receive PKR 975 million as its share. However, a major stakeholder still owes the PCB around PKR 4.7 billion. This stakeholder has been delaying payment by claiming financial losses, which has made it difficult to finalize the accounts.

Because of this issue, the PCB did not allow two TV channels to take part in the bidding process for media rights. Surprisingly, the new company that won the broadcasting rights later allowed those same channels to air the matches. 

This raised further concerns about transparency and decision-making, something that Mohsin Naqvi is expected to address going forward.

Learning from past mistakes, the board has now taken preventive steps. It has secured a bank guarantee from the new media rights holder. This means that if payments are not made, the Mohsin Naqvi-led PCB can recover its money through the guarantee.

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