Reports suggest that the new owners of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) might be entering Pakistan’s biggest sporting property. The Arif Habib Group has been emerging as a leading contender to buy one of the two new Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises.
The group is understood to be the most serious bidder in the ongoing process for league expansion.
Inverex and the Arif Habib group are currently the front-runners to buy the two available teams. The PSL will be moving from six to eight franchises.
PCB receives strong interest for two new PSL franchises
It has been confirmed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that it has received an encouraging and exceptional response for the sale of two new teams. Almost 12 parties are filing bids before the final deadline.
The submission window has already been extended multiple times. First from December 15 to 22 and then to December 24. The interest grew due to promotional roadshows held in London and New York. The roadshows attracted investors from North America, Europe and the Middle East.
This will be the first major restructuring of PSL since the Multan Sultans joined in 2018. When Multan Sultans joined the tournaments, the teams increased from five to six.
The latest bidders, according to the PCB, come from five different countries. The countries are Australia, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, and Pakistan. The bidding pool alongside Arif Habib group and Inverex includes telecom operators, US-based Pakistani businessmen and real estate players.
The successful bidders will then choose their teams from a shortlist of cities that includes:
- Hyderabad
- Rawalpindi
- Faisalabad
- Gilgit
- Muzaffarabad
- Sialkot
The PSL 11 will start from March 26 to May 3, 2026. This announcement was also made on a roadshow in New York. Pakistani cricket fans are really excited for this season of PSL as it brings new players, new teams anda whole lot of hype.
