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Pakistan Cricket Team and Mohsin Naqvi [Source: AFP]
Pakistan cricket has found itself at the centre of an unusually candid debate as Multan Sultans owner Gohar Shah claimed that “our cricket is dying” while discussing the struggles of running a PSL franchise and the wider problems facing Pakistan cricket.
His comments came after former Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen offered a blunt assessment of the PSL's franchise model, arguing that owners eventually discover that the economics of the competition are far more difficult than they initially appeared.
Ali Tareen says the PSL reality is different from the original promise
Ali Tareen, who previously owned the Multan Sultans till 2025, acknowledged that nobody was forced to buy a PSL franchise and that every owner understood the revenue-sharing model before entering the competition.
But according to Tareen, understanding the contractual split and understanding the actual market are two completely different things.
He argued that new owners often enter the league believing they can generate additional income through their own commercial networks, sponsorships and merchandise. The problem, he suggested, is that every franchise is competing for the same pool of major brands.
Tareen also pointed towards the limited commercial value of merchandise in Pakistan, where unofficial copies can be purchased cheaply.
“Everyone thinks they can manage the losses,” Tareen wrote on X, before explaining how owners eventually discover that the market does not necessarily provide the additional revenue they had expected.
His biggest criticism, however, was directed at the relationship between franchise owners and the Pakistan Cricket Board. According to Tareen, the owners once had direct access to the PCB chairman when problems arose. Over time, he claimed, that communication moved down the hierarchy.
For Tareen, this is not simply an administrative inconvenience. It is part of a structure in which franchise owners invest heavily but have limited influence over decisions that directly affect their businesses.
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The empty jersey spots may have revealed the real problem
One of Tareen's strongest arguments was based on something fans could actually see during the PSL. He pointed out that the three new franchises had major empty spaces on their jerseys because sponsors were not willing to pay the asking prices.
That is significant because sponsorship is supposed to be one of the major avenues through which a franchise can turn its investment into a sustainable business.
Instead, the new teams reportedly discovered that simply buying into the PSL does not automatically create a commercial market around the team.
Gohar Shah takes the argument beyond franchise economics
Gohar Shah did not directly respond to Tareen's allegations, saying that he could not address them directly “for legal reasons”. Instead, the current Multan Sultans owner took the conversation somewhere much bigger.
Shah compared the PSL experience with a midweek MLB game he attended in New York. He described a packed stadium, strong production, families attending comfortably, smooth entry and exit, and an overall match-day atmosphere that made even baseball, traditionally considered one of the slower sports, entertaining.
However, amid all these, he specifically pointed out that the stadium was owned by the home team. That, according to Shah, gave the franchise greater control over the entire match-day experience.
Shah appears to believe that Pakistani cricket needs to think beyond simply organising matches and selling broadcasting rights. The experience surrounding the sport also needs to become valuable enough for supporters to spend their time and money on it.
Why Shah believes Pakistan cricket is losing its pull
According to Shah, Pakistan does not currently have enough stars who can consistently convince fans to take time away from their daily lives and spend their hard-earned money watching cricket.
“Our cricket is dying, there’s not enough stars that warrant people to take time out from their day and spend from their hard earned income. At @MultanSultans we are trying to give younger players more chances (you saw that this year) so that newer stars can come to the fold and contributing the 2nd highest franchise fee so millions and millions of dollars flow back into the game locally,” Shah wrote on X.
Pakistan has historically produced cricketers who became household names, but Shah suggests that the modern cricket ecosystem is struggling to create the same level of emotional connection between players, teams and supporters.
The franchise has been giving younger players more opportunities, with Shah pointing out that the team was deliberately trying to bring new names into the spotlight. However, A young player needs opportunities, strong performances, media exposure and eventually a relationship with the supporters. A league cannot manufacture that connection overnight.
The PSL may be successful and still be in trouble
The PCB's position is that the PSL has made remarkable progress despite security concerns, currency pressures and wider economic difficulties. The PSL can be one of Pakistan's most valuable sporting brands while its franchises face serious financial difficulties.
“I am pushing for all the stakeholders to think bigger , and work towards making the experience and the game better at home but it’s been incredibly tough. Everything gets lost in the bureaucracy and getting the institution / individuals on the same page is practically impossible so nothing gets done . But whatever has have done for the last 8 or so years seems to not have worked,” the current CEO of Multan Sultans added.
If the league is genuinely as valuable as the PCB believes, then the next stage should not simply be about increasing franchise fees, adding teams or growing the tournament. It should be about making sure the franchises that carry the league can survive long enough to keep investing in it.
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