Islamabad [Pakistan], December 28 (ANI): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will operate the Multan Sultans franchise in the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 tournament. Multan Sultans will not look for an external buyer, according to ESPNcricinfo.

In a press conference, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said that the board will bring in former cricketers to take over the Multan Sultans operation for the 11th season of SPL before opening it for potential buyers after the season.

'As soon as the PSL ends, we will auction the franchise off, and in the next eight to ten days, we will appoint an acting head to run the franchise,' Naqvi said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Naqvi added that Multan Sultans couldn't be sold alongside the two new franchises, which will be auctioned publicly in Islamabad on January 8, citing rules requiring the sale to be announced a certain period before the auction.

Ali Tareen, the former owner of Multan Sultans, stepped back from his ownership last month. His decision came after a verbal spat between Tareen and PSL management, whom he accused of lacking ambition and transparency.

In response, the PCB sent a legal notice accusing him of non-compliance with his ownership contract. PCB also demanded an apology. Tareen responded with a sarcastic 'apology' video, which ended with him tearing up the notice they had sent.

PSL 2026 will kick off on March 26 and conclude on May 3. PSL 2026 schedule has been rejigged, resulting in an overlap with the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the second consecutive year.

The IPL's traditional timeline is from late March to late May. The Pakistan cricket team was initially scheduled to tour Bangladesh, featuring two Test matches, three ODIs, and three T20Is in March and April, according to Olympics.com.

The 11th season will be the longest yet, spanning 39 playing days.

That represents an additional week on the calendar, with previous editions typically lasting 30-35 days. Established in 2016, the PSL 2026 season will be the 11th edition of the franchise-based T20 tournament.

For its first nine editions, the PSL was held between February and March, a window now occupied by the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, which is set to be hosted in India and Sri Lanka next year.

The PSL was held in a similar timeframe last season because Pakistan hosted the ICC Champions Trophy between February and March.

PSL is set to expand to eight franchises, with the auction for the two new teams scheduled for January 8, as announced by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

Inaugural champions Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars are the most successful teams in the league, with three titles each. Lahore Qalandars are also the defending champions. (ANI)