Ali Tareen’s savage ‘Apology’ to PCB will leave you speechless

In a fiery and sarcastic video message posted on X (formerly Twitter), Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen publicly responded to the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) termination notice, saying he had been asked to withdraw his criticism and issue a public apology — or face losing his franchise.

“The PSL management has sent me a legal notice,” said Tareen at the beginning of his video, which runs for just over four minutes. “They’re saying that if I don’t take back what I said and publicly apologize, they’ll cancel our franchise agreement and blacklist me from ever owning a PSL team again.”

No dialogue, just legal notice

In the Ali Tareen PSL termination response, Tareen alleged that the PCB never attempted to resolve the issues through communication. “I didn’t receive a single call, a single message, a single email,” he said. “Not even an invitation to discuss what my concerns were. Straight to a legal notice.”

He accused the PCB of being unable to handle criticism and surrounding itself with yes-men. “You don’t want to work with your stakeholders,” he said. “You just want everyone to toe the line and stay silent.”

‘I apologize…’ — but not really

With cutting sarcasm, Tareen said he was “ready to apologize,” but proceeded to list the very criticisms that landed him in trouble — each followed by a mock apology.

“I apologize that I want the PSL to be better,” he said. “I apologize that I raised my voice when I saw problems. I apologize that I’m not impressed by your mediocre mindset. I apologize that I criticized the grand opening ceremony where national stars lip-synced instead of singing live.”

He even referenced PCB’s complaint about his late arrival to a Zoom call, saying, “I apologize from the bottom of my heart for joining a Zoom meeting 10 minutes late. Truly unforgivable.”

Ali Tareen’s PSL termination response takes aim at PCB’s handling of criticism

Tareen took a dig at the logistical mismanagement and on-ground execution of PSL 10.

“There were long lines outside the stadium. Half the team was in one hotel, the support staff in another. Amazing management,” he said sarcastically. “Only six teams complained. Not bad, right?”

He also referenced a heavily mocked moment from the last season’s trophy reveal video. “That video where a tall guy dived underwater, took the trophy from a cage and brought it to a boat? Goosebumps.”

'The league belongs to the fans'

Calling out the PCB’s high-handedness, Tareen reminded the board that the league was not their personal property.

“I love this league more than you do,” he said. “It belongs to the fans. To Pakistan. Not to the 2.5 people running it.”

In a final jab, he invited the board to sit down for “a cup of tea, a few biscuits,” and fix the league together — but only if PCB was genuinely interested in solutions rather than silencing criticism.

As the video came to a close, Tareen didn’t just end with words. In a final symbolic gesture, he tore up the legal notice sent by the PCB — a move that underscored his message loud and clear: he’s not backing down.

Background

The PCB had earlier issued a termination notice to the Multan Sultans franchise, citing alleged breach of contract. Sources said the move came after Tareen’s public criticism of PSL 10’s structure, scheduling, and execution.

Tareen’s response video, however, has now escalated the matter further, turning it into a high-stakes standoff between a franchise owner and the league’s top management.