PCB has received bids from Pakistan, USA, Australia, Canada, and UAE for two new PSL 11 teams

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has received bids for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) from Pakistan as well as from the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates. According to details, two new teams are being added from PSL Season 11. Within the extended deadline—revised twice—12 parties submitted their bids. The PCB has described the tender results as exceptional and highly encouraging. The bidders belong to five countries, including Pakistan, the United States, Australia, Canada, and the UAE. Mobile phone companies, solar panel companies, real estate groups, and other well-known business organizations and individuals are participating. Consortia have also been formed. The results of the initial bidding phase will be announced on Saturday. In the next stage, technically qualified bidders will get the opportunity to purchase two new teams through an open auction on January 8 at the Islamabad Convention Centre. The PCB is committed to completing the bidding process in a transparent, competitive, and internationally compliant manner to ensure further expansion and growth of the Pakistan Super League. The ownership of the new franchises will be for a period of 10 years, from 2026 to 2035, inclusive. Successful bidders will be eligible to name their team after one of the following cities: Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad, or Gilgit. They may also propose a name outside this list; however, approval or rejection will be at the board’s discretion. A one-time fee of one million US dollars will be payable for this option. The successful franchise may also include a suffix with the city name, subject to prior written approval from the board. The use of commercial or corporate brand names, or the suffixes of existing franchises—Qalandars, Kings, United, Zalmi, Gladiators, and Sultans—will not be permitted. For the seventh and eighth teams, the cricket board has decided to provide a minimum central pool income guarantee of PKR 850 million for the next five editions starting from PSL 11. It is worth noting that the 11th edition of the PSL will be held from March 26 to May 3, 2026. This time, eight teams will participate in the tournament. The contract of the current owners of Multan Sultans has not been renewed due to ongoing controversial statements. They themselves are also not interested in retaining the team, so the board will need to look for new owners. Another option under consideration is for the board to manage Multan Sultans itself during the 11th edition.