Ali Tareen, owner of Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Multan Sultans, has issued a markedly sarcastic “apology” after receiving a legal notice from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Framed as contrition but delivered with scathing commentary, his response took aim at the league’s direction while acknowledging the board’s complaints about alleged breaches of the 10-year franchise contract.
According to the notice, the PCB accused Tareen of violating multiple clauses of the PSL franchise agreement and demanded both a public apology and a retraction of his critical comments. He warned that failure to comply could result in Multan Sultans’ contract being terminated and Tareen being blacklisted by the league, an ultimatum that significantly raised the stakes in the dispute.
Posting a video on his X account, Tareen appeared to comply with form while questioning substance, using sarcastic language to question the PSL’s management and decision-making.
Tareen began by outlining the PCB’s ultimatum before questioning the board’s approach to conflicts. He expressed frustration at the lack of direct communication, stating that he never received “a single call, message, email or invitation asking to meet and resolve these issues together.”
“Instead, I received a legal notice,” he said. “If you were more competent, you would know that these matters are not handled this way.” He accused the management of being surrounded by “yes men” and being unable to accept criticism, stating that the league “belongs to the fans and all of Pakistan, not to the handful of people who currently run it.”
While stating that his legal team saw no need to apologize, Tareen proceeded to offer one “because I want the PSL to improve.” His apology, however, served to reiterate all of his previous complaints.
He apologized for expressing frustration when he noticed problems and for his critical comments about what he perceived as a lack of professionalism.
He apologized for “criticizing the opening ceremony,” sarcastically praising the “surprising” act of having “national stars… lip-sync.” He admitted that wanting the ceremony to “start on time, end on time and have the microphone work properly” was going “too far.”
He addressed the minor complaints mentioned in the notice, offering a sincere apology for arriving “10 minutes late” to a Zoom meeting and for stating that “the PSL would have no mistakes,” while sarcastically pointing out the impeccable logistics that saw “half of his team in one hotel and the other half in another.”
Striking a conciliatory note amidst the sarcasm, Tareen proposed a simple solution: “call me, offer me a cup of tea and some biscuits, and let’s sit together and talk.” He suggested they could agree to end public criticism and work together to improve the league.
The video concludes with Tareen tearing up the disclaimer, a final act of defiance after his “apology.” He ended his statement by saying, “I hope you like my apology video.”
