The Pakistan Super League has announced that two new franchises that will be added to the roster next year as part of expansion plans.
The PSL has completed 10 seasons and is now looking to widen its reach by adding to the existing pool of six franchises - Lahore Qalandars, Karachi Kings, Islamabad United, Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators.
The additional teams will add to the competitive nature of the tournament which last season saw four out of the six teams qualify for the play-offs. More teams would mean lesser room for complacency and greater significance on each win.
Which cities are in line to get a PSL franchise?
On Friday, the PSL announced the process for the creation of two new franchises, with the team auction set for January 6, 2026.
The successful bidders at the auction will get to choose from six cities to set up base. They are – Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad and Gilgit.
There were rumours of Gilgit and Faisalabad being shortlisted but the Pakistan board refuted the claims.
This will run concurrent to contract renewals of the existing six franchises.
The Pakistan board completed valuation process for the PSL teams and sent renewal offer letters reflecting the new franchise fees for the next 10 years to the teams.
PSL CEO Salman Naseer said teams unwilling to renew the contracts based on latest valuations can opt out, with new owners taking their place.
“Under their existing agreements, teams have the first right of renewal for the next 10 editions based on that valuation,” Naseer said.
“After that, if any franchise chooses not to renew, those team rights will be offered through an open process where new investors can come in.”
Will all teams renew contract?
There is one team that has been in the news for this very issue. Multan Sultans have been involved in a protracted back and forth with the Pakistan board over a number of issues including expansion plans, overseas investments and clarity over revenue sharing.
Multan owner Ali Tareen has been particularly vocal, airing all grievances and boardroom chatter to various media platforms.
Recently, he was reportedly served a legal notice from the board which threated termination of contract unless the team owner offered an apology.
However, Tareen tore up the supposed legal notice in his video on social media, ending any chance of reconciliation.
Now, the board has apparently decided to not renew Multan’s contract and instead search for new owners.
Current team owner Tareen revealed on social media that he has not been offered the new contract letter, pointing to possibly the end of Multan Sultans as a franchise.
How much money is involved?
Multan were the sixth team to join PSL, winning the rights to own a franchise. According to reports, the Multan franchise paid the PSL over $6 million per year from 2017.
One expects the new team owners to pay significantly more to buy into the league. There were some concerns over the size of the revenue pie that would be shared by more teams.
But the league recently announced a bumper rise in the title sponsorship for the tournament, with the value growing by 500 per cent since the first season.
According to reports, the latest title sponsorship deal with HBL is worth a little over $26 million for two seasons.
The Pakistan board has also announced a substantial increase in rewards for the franchises.
On Friday, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi announced a rewards plan for the teams, where the tournament winners will get an additional prize of $500,000 – which will be over and above the tournament prize money.
The championship prize is likely to see a jump from last season’s amount of half a million dollars.
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves
She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
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Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
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Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Avengers: Endgame
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin
4/5 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
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Results
2pm: Handicap Dh 90,000 1,800m; Winner: Majestic Thunder, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.30pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,950m; Winner: Just A Penny, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
3pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m; Winner: Native Appeal, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Classic Conditions Dh300,000 1,400m; Winner: Thegreatcollection, Adrie de Vries, Doug Watson.
4pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Oktalgano, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.30pm: Conditions Dh250,000 1,400m; Winner: Madame Ellingtina, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Mystery Land, Fabrice Veron, Helal Al Alawi.
5.30pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,000m; Winner: Shanaghai City, Jesus Rosales, Rashed Bouresly.
AWARDS
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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