Tareen posts said ‘sorry’ after PCB legal notice

Ali Tareen, owner of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Multan Sultans, issued a sharply sarcastic ‘apology’ after receiving a legal notice from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Framed as sorry but delivered with barbs, his response took aim at the league’s management while acknowledging the board’s complaints about alleged violations of the 10-year franchise agreement.

According to the release, the PCB accused Tareen of violating multiple clauses of the PSL franchise agreement and demanded a public apology and retraction of his critical remarks. He warned that non-compliance could see Multan Sultans’ contract terminated and see Tareen blacklisted by the league – an ultimatum that significantly raised the stakes of the controversy.

Posting a video on X’s account, Tareen appeared to stick to form while questioning substance, using sarcastic language to question PSL’s management and decision-making.

Tareen began by outlining the PCB’s ultimatum before questioning the board’s approach to the conflict. He expressed his frustration at the lack of immediate communication, stating that he never received “a single phone call, text, email or invitation asking us to meet and resolve these issues together.”

“Instead, I was served with a legal notice,” he said. “If you were more competent, you would know that these matters are not dealt with in this way.” He accused the management of being surrounded by “yes-men” and unable to accept criticism, arguing that the league “belongs to the fans and the whole of Pakistan, not the few people who are running it right now”.

While stating that his legal team saw no need for an apology, Tareen went on to offer one “because I want the PSL to improve”. His apology, however, served to reiterate all of his previous grievances.

He apologized for expressing his frustration when he noticed issues and for his critical remarks about what he perceived as a lack of professionalism.

He apologized for “criticizing the opening ceremony”, sarcastically praising the “amazing” act of having “national stars … lip-sync”. He admitted that wanting the ceremony to “start on time, end on time and the microphone should work properly” was “going too far”.

He addressed minor complaints listed in the announcement, offering a sincere apology for being “10 late” in a Zoom meeting and claiming “the PSL wouldn’t have bugs,” while noting with sarcasm the botched logistics that saw “half of your team in one hotel and the other half in another.”

Striking a conciliatory note amid the sarcasm, Tareen suggested a simple solution: “call me, offer me a cup of tea and some cookies, and let’s sit down and talk.” He suggested they could agree to end public criticism and work together to improve the league.

The video ended with Tareen tearing up the legal notice, a final act of defiance after his “sorry”. He finished his statement with: “Well, I hope you like my apology video.”