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Comment: Will three teams be sold? | The Express Tribune
Most franchises are staying put. The problem lies with Multan Sultan
Alhore Qalandars extend PSL partnership. PHOTO: PCB
“You were saying this ‘game‘ was fixed and no action will be taken against Multan Sultans, Ali Tareen would remain the owner, soon we’d see a picture of him and Salman Naseer exchanging bouquets, and then everyone would live happily ever after. But now the deadline is almost here, and the Sultans’ issues remain unresolved.
Ali Tareen is hinting at a legal battle — that means things are really bad.”
When I said this to a friend who closely follows the PSL, he replied, “I gave my opinion after analyzing the situation, but perhaps I was wrong. Anyway, after waiting so long, wait another couple of days — everything will become clear.”
He said that and went quiet, but the questions in my mind regarding the Pakistan Super League remain.
Multan Sultans became the most expensive franchise in the league, paying 1.08 billion rupees annually.
On the field, their performance this year was poor, but off the field, owner Ali Tareen was hitting plenty of verbal sixes and fours.
Just as players get applause from fans, he did too — but he also had to face the displeasure of PCB officials. I’ve already written about the reasons in detail earlier, but now it seems the matter is reaching an unhappy conclusion.
In a day, the deadline will expire, and we’ll know which franchises are retaining their teams and who is going for rebidding.
Peshawar Zalmi confirmed first, Lahore Qalandars have verbally agreed, Karachi Kings have heavy stakes in the league so they can’t afford to withdraw, and Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators have found PSL to be a golden goose — they’re not going anywhere either.
So, most franchises are staying put. The problem lies with Multan Sultans. The PCB didn’t even make them an offer to retain the team. Ali Tareen recently said that his messages are being ignored. Every PCB press release uses the term “eligible franchises,” which clearly suggests that it’s time to bid farewell to the Sultans.
By now, Ali likely realizes the seriousness of the situation. He might have thought that fiery statements on social media would save him, but that was a miscalculation.
If Ramiz Raja, Zaka Ashraf, or Najam Sethi were chairman, perhaps a phone call from his father would have fixed things — but Mohsin Naqvi is different; he doesn’t tolerate such behavior.
Ali Tareen thought he was being clever by only targeting Salman Naseer in his criticism, but his statements ultimately hurt the league itself — and no head of an institution can accept that. Now, there seems to be no room left for forgiveness, which is why he’s hinting at legal action. Reportedly, efforts were also made to get other franchises on his side, but few would risk jumping onto a sinking ship.
Although it seems unlikely, if somehow reconciliation happens at the last minute, the franchise fee will increase from 1.08 billion to 1.35 billion rupees. If they had to accept that increase anyway, why start the fight in the first place?
If the dispute continues, Ali Tareen will lose ownership and won’t even be allowed to participate in the rebidding. If he tries to front someone else — an uncle, cousin, or friend — what’s the point? It’ll be a case of “spent nothing, but broke the glass and paid twelve annas.”
Now we’ll see how the drama ends — will there only be two new teams, or will three franchises be sold?
Before departing, though, Multan Sultans have put other franchises in a tough spot too. The audit firm was given financials showing a profit, while several other franchises reported losses. The question arises — if a team paying over a billion rupees annually is profitable, how are the others in loss? Franchise fees have already gone up significantly, but since new teams haven’t yet been sold, it’s better not to discuss specific figures.
What I do know is that many owners are unhappy with how things are unfolding. They’ve held multiple meetings among themselves.
Questions are being raised:
On what formula were the fees increased?
What is the new financial model for new franchises?
Meetings with the audit firm weren’t very fruitful, but for now, no one wants open confrontation. The first priority for all is to retain ownership.
Imagine someone earning 100,000 rupees a month — if that’s divided among six family members and then two more join without any increase in income, the original ones end up losing out. The same applies here: along with revising the financial model, revenue streams must increase.
These franchise owners were the ones who stepped up when no one was willing to embrace the PSL. Ali Tareen joined later, but the others — Javed Afridi, Atif Rana, Sameen Rana, Nadeem Omar, Ali Naqvi, Salman Iqbal — were loyal partners from the very beginning. They deserve respect.
If any owner causes trouble over dues, handle it according to the law. But bring in new owners who aren’t just chasing fame — ones who won’t panic after seeing the first year’s accounts. Bring in people who can take the league to new heights.
Existing franchises, too, should look for new ways to help PSL grow. Only then can the league become bigger and stronger — otherwise, ten years from now, we’ll still be standing exactly where we are today.
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Cameras showed former New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch in the team’s draft room Thursday night during the first round.
At one point, Tisch was seen standing near Giants head coach John Harbaugh. Despite no longer holding a majority stake in the NFL franchise, Tisch remains the Giants’ chairman of the board.
ESPN obtained an NFL memo last month detailing plans by Steve Tisch and his siblings to transfer their stake in the Giants to trusts for their children.
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New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch warms up before the NFL game between the Washington Redskins and New York Giants at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Oct. 28, 2018. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)
“Prior transfers to these Trusts were completed pursuant to 2023 and 2024 Finance Committee approvals,” the memo stated. “The Sellers now propose to transfer their entire remaining interests, totaling 23.1% of the Club, to the Trusts. … Following the transactions, the Sellers will no longer own any interest in the Club.”
It was not clear if the transfer requests were in any way related to Tisch’s name appearing in the Epstein files released by the U.S. Justice Department in January. Tisch’s name came up more than 400 times in the files. Tisch at the time said he knew Epstein but denied visiting Epstein’s island.
As for draft night, the Giants made what some viewed as an unconventional pick at No. 10, selecting offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa.
Francis Mauigoa of Miami celebrates after being selected as the tenth overall pick by the New York Giants during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on April 23, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Before that, the Giants added another piece to their pass rush, selecting hybrid edge/off-ball linebacker Arvell Reese at No. 5.
Reese earned All-American honors at Ohio State and finished his first season as a full-time starter with 6.5 sacks.
Arvell Reese of Ohio State celebrates after being selected as the fifth overall pick by the New York Giants during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on April 23, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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Reese is set to join a pass rush that includes Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and, likely, Kayvon Thibodeaux.
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One of the most intriguing stories entering the first round of the NFL Draft was where Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson might land. Well, fans got their answer sooner than they expected.
The Los Angeles Rams surprisingly selected Simpson with the No. 13 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The selection isn’t completely out of left field and is arguably the best-case scenario for Simpson. The Rams have Matthew Stafford as their starter for 2026, but Stafford has flirted with the idea of retirement each of the past two offseasons. It’s clear the clock is ticking on his NFL career.
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The Los Angeles Rams pulled a stunner and drafted Alababam QB Ty Simpson with the No. 13 pick in the NFL Draft. (CFP/Getty Images)
Now, Simpson gets to sit behind one of the NFL’s best veteran quarterbacks, learn the position while adapting to life in the NFL, and not face immediate pressure to succeed. Additionally, the Rams are one of the most well-run franchises in the league right now. Sean McVay is an elite head coach who led the team to a Super Bowl victory to cap the 2021 season and just had the team within one win of another Super Bowl berth before falling to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship.
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The most surprising aspect is the Rams looking toward the future, quite frankly. This is a team that has had no problem trading away first-round picks to make its team the best it can be each season. It seemed most likely the team would use the No. 13 pick to improve its team for next season, which could be Stafford’s last. Instead, the team decided to put itself in position for Stafford’s retirement without skipping a beat.
Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford, now 38-years-old, has flirted with retirement after each of the past two seasons. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
There were several surprises in the first 13 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft: the Cardinals taking Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 3, the Titans selecting Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate at No. 4, the Kansas City Chiefs trading up to take LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane at No. 6 and even the Cowboys trading up one spot to make sure they drafted Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 11.
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But the Rams completely abandoning their recent strategy (usually trading away first-round picks and loading up for now) to select Stafford’s heir apparent is easily the biggest early shock of the 2026 NFL Draft.
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Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner considering factors before debuting new alternate uniforms: report
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The choice for the New York Yankees to wear their new alternate uniform is ultimately up to owner Hal Steinbrenner, who has shown a knack for change in recent years.
And according to The Athletic, Steinbrenner and others in the front office will decide when the time is right based on some factors.
The outlet noted that economic impact, how often they’ll be worn, and how fans feel about the jerseys will all be key considerations in deciding if, and perhaps when, the jerseys will be worn.
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Manager Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees makes a pitching change during the fifth inning of a spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida, on March 17, 2026. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images)
Hours after The Athletic reported that players had gone to higher-ups about the idea, it was revealed that an alternate jersey had in fact been approved prior.
The Yankees’ navy blue batting practice tops, similar to their road spring training uniforms, were the ones that were approved to be worn in games.
The Yankees have taken part in wearing different jerseys in the past, including Players’ Weekend from 2017 through 2019, a nod to the 1912 team while playing in Boston on the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park’s opening, and jerseys commemorating the Black Yankees in 1996. The Yankees also wore replicas of their 1921 road uniforms for the first Field of Dreams game in 2021.
Paul Goldschmidt, Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger of the New York Yankees wait for the start of a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona, on March 24, 2026. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
YANKEES ANNOUNCER SAYS TEAM SHOULD WIN A WORLD SERIES BEFORE BREAKING LONGSTANDING JERSEY TRADITION
However, none of those jerseys were ever officially put into the rotation, leaving them with just a home and road uniform from day one.
The Yankees also remain the only team to have no last names on the back of their jerseys, home or away, and they are also one of two teams, including the Athletics, without a City Connect jersey.
The Yankees added an advertisement patch on their jerseys in 2023, and beginning last year, “well-groomed” facial hair below the lip was reintroduced after a 50-year ban by Steinbrenner’s father, George.
Yankees players reportedly said they want the home pinstripes untouched and would wear the alternates on the road.
Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees bats against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning of a spring training game at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona, on March 23, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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The Yankees sell navy blue “shirseys” that mimic the tone of their spring training uniforms, but the pinstripes have been even more prevalent in home spring games in Florida.
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