Owners of the three franchises confirm they will continue working with the PCB for next ten years

Danyal Rasool25-Nov-2025

The owners of Quetta Gladiators, Karachi Kings and Islamabad United have all confirmed they will renew their ownership for ten further years. The announcements follow previous public statements from Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi also officially confirming their renewed ownership.It means the five franchises the PSL began with have signed deals to continue with the same owners. Shortly after United went public, Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen announced he would not be extending his ownership of the franchise.Each franchise was widely expected to renew. Kings, who were initially the most valuable franchise in 2016, officially saw the smallest percentage growth in their annual franchise fee, representing what were perceived as particularly beneficial terms. They were valued at PKR 440 million (approx US$1.57m) in 2016 and about 790 million (approx US$2.8m) in the most recent valuation.Related

Multan Sultans owner decides not to renew ownership of PSL franchise

With incumbent owners retaining franchise rights, they are required to pay the old value plus 25% of the new valuation, meaning Kings’ annual franchise fee comes to around PKR 640 million (approx US$2.3m). That means their market value has dipped below that of Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans, and is only higher than Quetta Gladiators.”A decade ago, we made a promise to help bring cricket back to Pakistan,” Kings owner, Salman Iqbal, tweeted. “Today, I am proud to announce that we have officially renewed Karachi Kings’ franchise rights for the next 10 years! This isn’t just a renewal; it’s a recommitment to the vision that built the HBL PSL.”Quetta and Islamabad have joined them. Gladiators are understood to have the lowest market value but the largest growth in their value. Their annual fee in 2016 was about PKR 187 million (approx US$660,000). With their market value going up to approximately PKR 690 million (approx US$2.45m), retention means the owners will have to pay in the region of PKR 360 million (approx US$1.28m) per year.United, too, have pipped Kings in market value, which is estimated at about PKR 860 million (approx US$3.06m). This is up from PKR 255 million (approx US$910,000) at the advent of the PSL, requiring owner Ali Naqvi to pay about PKR 470 million (approx US$1.67m).Two new teams will be added ahead of the next season of the PSL, which is set to be held between March and May 2026. With Sultans’ ownership group declining to retain, the PSL has to find an ownership solution for three teams before the draft for the 11th edition can get underway.

Lionel Messi helped to inspire Inter Miami to a historic MLS Cup triumph, but the Argentine GOAT was not really in a party mood when wild post-match celebrations were taken in. Club co-owner Sir David Beckham formed part of those, as he led a conga line, but Messi – who has enhanced his status as the most decorated player of all-time – looked like he would rather be anywhere else in the world.

• Historic win: Inter Miami land MLS Cup in 2025

  The Herons have savoured MLS Cup glory for the first time, with impressive progress being made over the course of five years since becoming another expansion franchise in 2020. Acquiring eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi in 2023 represented a notable coup for the club.

  He helped them to Leagues Cup success a matter of weeks after arriving in South Florida, before claiming the Supporters’ Shield in record-breaking style last season. Inter Miami have now landed the ultimate prize, with Vancouver being seen off in the 2025 MLS Cup final.

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• Watch Messi forced to join Beckham's conga line

• How many trophies has Messi won?

  The contest took place at Chase Stadium, as the Herons prepare to bid farewell to that venue and move into a new purpose-built home for 2026. They delivered the perfect send-off when overcoming Thomas Muller and the Whitecaps.

  Messi was not among the goals in a 3-1 win over Vancouver, but delivered Golden Boot-winning exploits during the regular season – finding the target on 43 occasions across all competitions.

  The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain playmaker now has 47 major titles to his name. He was full of smiles after hoisting the MLS Cup aloft as captain of Inter Miami. Beckham was on hand – alongside wife Victoria – to join in with those celebrations.

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  Back for more: Messi under contract through 2028

  The party carried on long after confetti had been cleared from the field, with Inter Miami’s squad getting the chance to let their hair down alongside friends and family. Beckham was front and centre again, with the Manchester United and England legend leading players in a conga as drinks flowed.

  Messi was dragged into that performance, seemingly against his wishes. The evergreen 38-year-old looked less than impressed at being forced to parade alongside Sergio Busquets and Rodrigo De Paul.

  While not really being in the party spirit, Messi will be back for more with Inter Miami next season. He has committed to a new three-year contract that will take him through 2028. The all-time great also has a World Cup title defence with Argentina on his agenda, with the expectation being that he will form part of the Albiceleste’s plans for the major tournament that is heading to the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.

The Australia allrounder is recovering from a shoulder complaint she has been managing for some time

Nagraj Gollapudi27-Nov-20254:35

Chatter: What type of players could attract most attention at this WPL auction?

Australian bowling allrounder Jess Jonassen is understood to have pulled out of the WPL auction due to injury. Jonassen’s exit was disclosed to franchises by the WPL at the pre-auction briefing on Wednesday.The WPL has also told franchises that batter Pratika Rawal, wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia and seamer VJ Joshitha are all injured though their names are part of the auction pool. However, these three players cannot be part of the mandatory 15-person squad. In case any franchise picks these players, they will not be allowed a replacement.Rawal listed her base price at INR 50 lakh while Bhatia at INR 30 lakh. Meanwhile, Joshitha will invite bids from INR 10 lakh.The WPL has also told franchises that India fast bowler Pooja Vastrakar is not fully fit but will be part of the auction. Kashvee Gautam, meanwhile, has been declared fit. Vastrakar has listed her base price at INR 50 lakh while Gautam at INR 30 lakh.Related

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Deepti, Wolvaardt, Ecclestone, Healy in marquee set

Jonassen, 33, has made a big impact in the WPL, winning five Player-of-the-Match awards. Only Harmanpreet Kaur has won more Player-of-the-Match awards (7) in the WPL. It is understood that Jonassen is recovering from a shoulder complaint she has been managing for some time.Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Amelia Kerr and Laura Wolvaardt are listed in the marquee set that will open the bidding at the WPL 2026 auction. Allrounder Deepti Sharma and fast bowler Renuka Singh are the two Indian players in the marquee set.

Junaid Siddique and Simranjeet Singh are examples of players who have not let the tensions between India and Pakistan come in the way of playing together

Shashank Kishore18-Sep-20251:49

Jaffer: Junaid Siddique was ‘spot on’

Junaid Siddique hails from Multan in Pakistan, and came to the UAE in 2014. But it wasn’t until a corruption scandal in UAE cricket, which led to bans of several players, that Siddique got a chance to play for the national team in October 2019. Over the past six years, Siddique has slowly emerged to becoming the leader of UAE’s pace attack.Two nights after starring with a four-wicket haul in UAE’s win over Oman, Siddique raised thoughts of an upset of Pakistan. He dismissed openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan in his first two overs, before returning later in the innings to polish off the lower order, ending with figures of 4-0-18-4.At the other end, Simranjeet Singh, who hails from Ludhiana in India, stemmed the flow of runs and built up pressure through the middle overs. Among his victims was Fakhar Zaman, soon after he got to a half-century.Related

• Fakhar, all-round Afridi lead Pakistan into Super Four

• The arrival of Shaheen Afridi, lower-order basher

From bowling to a young Shubman Gill at the Punjab age-group nets, Simranjeet’s cricket journey took an unexpected twist when he got stuck in the UAE during the Covid-19 lockdown. It was to start an unusual but memorable journey that has now taken him to the UAE team at 35. On Wednesday, he returned figures of 3 for 26.In a hugely volatile situation involving India and Pakistan, Siddique and Simranjeet are examples of players who have not let geopolitical tensions come in the way of their cricket, and performing together for UAE.Despite improved focus towards developing home-grown talent, UAE are very much a multicultural group of players, largely from the subcontinent. Their captain Muhammad Waseem, born in Pakistan, is himself a beneficiary of support from a Hyderabad-based entrepreneur who helped him land a job and helped facilitate his cricketing journey when he arrived in Dubai more than a decade ago.

“We weren’t talking of that [politics]. We’ve played too much cricket with each other. There’s no Indian or Pakistani [sentiment]. We are playing for the UAE. We play as a family, and live as a family”Muhammad Waseem, UAE captain

It was, therefore, only natural that Waseem expressed the kind of sentiment he did when asked about the tensions between India and Pakistan during the Asia Cup.”All these situations are only in India and Pakistan. There are no such situations in the UAE, whether it is in daily life, whether it is in cricket, or in our friendship,” he said. “We live like a family away from cricket, and in cricket matches too. We have played a lot of cricket with each other.”Asked if it ever came in the way of their camaraderie, he said, “No, we weren’t talking of that [politics]. We’ve played too much cricket with each other. There’s no Indian or Pakistani [sentiment]. We are playing for the UAE. We play as a family, and live as a family.”Simranjeet Singh derailed Pakistan in the middle overs•Associated PressWaseem, who has formed a fearsome opening combination with Kerala-born Alishan Sharafu, one of UAE’s emerging young batters, was full of praise for Siddique’s skills as he looked back at a game that could have panned out differently had UAE batted better in their chase of 147.”Junaid is our main bowler. Our most senior bowler in the team,” Waseem said. “He was exceptional today. In the last game also, he was superb. I’m very happy with our bowling. Especially the way we’ve bowled and learnt. Junaid, Simranjeet, [Muhammad] Rohid – all of them are doing a great job and I’m sure it’ll help us in the upcoming games.”Asked to pick out a turning point in the game against Pakistan, Waseem looked back at the three wickets lost inside the powerplay. “We ended up losing wickets in clusters,” he said. “Even after losing three wickets, we got a partnership going [between Rahul Chopra and Dhruv Parashar]. It felt until the 14-15-over mark that we could win, but we lost too many wickets.”Junaid Siddique picked 4 for 18 in his four overs against Pakistan•AFP/Getty ImagesOver the past few weeks, UAE have had seven straight games against top sides, a rarity in an era of lopsided fixtures where they have often had to make do with having to play fellow Associates. This, Waseem felt, gave them fresh perspective and clarity on how to approach their cricket.”We’ve learnt a lot playing India, Pakistan and Afghanistan,” he said. “We’ve learnt to handle pressure. Like today, we lost three wickets in the powerplay, but even after that, the boys built a partnership.”In the tri-series, the first game against Pakistan, or against Afghanistan, we came close. We could have won tonight as well. As a captain, I’ve learnt about making bowling changes. While I am batting, if I’m set, I’ve learnt that I should try and finish the game and then go out.”UAE now turn their attention to the Asia region qualifiers (from October 1 to 17) where they will fight for a spot at next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. If they are to make it, much will depend on their Indian-Pakistani core coming together to click as a unit.

Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck has launched a scathing attack on his team-mates following their disappointing Champions League draw against Bodo/Glimt. The German international accused the substitutes introduced by manager Niko Kovac of "losing every ball" and lacking the necessary intensity during a collapse that has severely jeopardised the club’s hopes of automatic qualification for the round of 16.

Dortmund slip up twice in Champions League draw

The atmosphere at the Westfalenstadion turned toxic on Wednesday evening as Dortmund twice surrendered the lead to draw 2-2 with the Norwegian side. What should have been a routine victory to cement their place among the European elite descended into chaos in the closing stages, prompting a furious post-match interview from Schlotterbeck.

The centre-back, who had been one of the few standout performers in a black and yellow shirt, did not hold back in his assessment of the team's mental fragility. Speaking to immediately after the final whistle, a visibly agitated Schlotterbeck pinpointed the exact moment the game began to drift away from the hosts.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSchlotterbeck slams 'incredibly bad first touches'

Dortmund had taken the lead and appeared to be in control through Julian Brandt after 18 minutes, but the visitors pulled level just before half-time. Brandt struck again early in the second period, only for the away side to strike again with 15 minutes left. According to Schlotterbeck, complacency set in rapidly as he criticised the team's attitude after going 1-0 up, suggesting that individual egos took precedence over the collective game plan demanded by manager Kovac.

"After the 1-0, we started playing extremely sloppy and having incredibly bad first touches," Schlotterbeck said. "Everyone plays their own game a little bit. It is not bitter, it is actually really bad."

With the game in the balance, Kovac turned to his bench to inject fresh energy and secure the three points, with Karim Adeyemi and Serhou Guirassy coming on while they were 2-1 up, while Emre Can and Julian Ryerson were introduced immediately after the away team's second equaliser. However, Schlotterbeck felt the replacements had the opposite effect, offering a damning verdict on their contribution.

"The players who come on lose every ball," he stated bluntly. "If you come on in the 60th minute, I expect 30 minutes of full steam. We combined a bit right and left, chipping in front of the goalkeeper and wanting to make it look nice, but you have to kill the game and we didn't do that."

Schlotterbeck also questioned the work rate and focus of the squad during the final stages of the match.

"We play in the Champions League and that is way too little," he added.

Can Dortmund qualify for the round of 16?

The draw impacts Dortmund's standing in the Champions League table. Finishing in the top eight is required to avoid a two-legged playoff round in February. A win would have taken Dortmund to 13 points, a tally that would have strengthened their position for automatic qualification.

Schlotterbeck expressed concern that some of his team-mates did not understand the importance of the result.

"We could have gone to 13 points here and I think some people didn't realise how important that is," he explained. "Because now you have to win both remaining games, otherwise you won't be in the top eight.

"After the 2-2 we didn't have any more chances to score, we played unbelievably unclean in the last quarter of an hour. In the last five minutes Bodø had more possession and that cannot be our standard."

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AFPKehl backs the criticism

Dortmund’s sporting director Sebastian Kehl also spoke after the match and supported Schlotterbeck’s right to be critical.

"Every player has the right to strike a critical tone after the game," Kehl said. "If they then put their finger in the wound and are hard on themselves, then that is good. We will definitely do that. The coach has already done that."

Kehl reiterated the missed opportunity regarding the league table.

"The boys have to be aware of what chance we wasted here today," Kehl added. "We absolutely wanted to win this game. We had a great chance to get to 13 points in the table. Everyone who could read the table knew what opportunity was on offer today. That's why the frustration is right. We are all very disappointed and angry."

Southampton have found their feet again in the Championship and could now be drawing closer to securing a permanent replacement for Will Still.

Southampton look to enter hunt for promotion

Despite a rocky start to the campaign that saw Still relieved of his duties on the South Coast, Southampton have since bounced back under Tonda Eckert and have recorded four straight victories in the second-tier, placing them narrowly outside the playoff slots.

Ultimately, the 32-year-old is only in caretaker charge at the moment. Still, Taylor Harwood-Bellis is enjoying working under his tutelage and praised his attention to detail after Saints’ consecutive victories over Charlton Athletic and Leicester City.

He said via BBC Sport: “I think he (Eckert) has given us everything. The meetings are so detailed with what he wants. There is detail in there that you wouldn’t even think about when you’re on the pitch. That’s a big thing about Tonda, he wants to help you. Against Charlton, the goals we scored were walked through the day before.

“We knew there would be space on the break if we sat off a little bit deeper [against Leicester] and that happened. Obviously there are going to be bumps in the road, we know that. It’s not only going to be plain sailing, but it’s down to us to keep the level now.”

Several names have been mentioned in connection with the post, including former boss Russell Martin, who is available after an ill-fated spell with Rangers.

Either way, the search for a new boss is now seemingly coming to an end, and Southampton supporters may soon know the identity of the head coach tasked with leading the club forward at St Mary’s.

Southampton could appoint Tonda Eckert permanently

According to Football Insider, Eckert is in pole position to be appointed as Southampton’s permanent manager following his successful caretaker stint on the South Coast, and there is now a growing clamour from fans to see the 32-year-old remain on a full-time basis.

Now the clear favourite after guiding Saints to four league wins on the trot, the German is the leading candidate to land the role, even if several other managers have been identified as a long-term successor to Still.

Tonda Eckert in charge of Southampton

Will Still in charge of Southampton

Matches: 4

Matches: 16

Wins: 4

Wins: 4

Draws: 0

Draws: 6

Losses: 0

Losses: 6

Momentum is critical when it comes to influencing public opinion, and it appears that may have seeped into Sport Republic’s way of thinking as they look to map out a path to earning promotion after a rocky few months.

Labelled a “really great coach” by Caspar Jander, Eckert clearly retains the backing of his group and appears to have the trust of figures both inside and outside of the club to lead Saints into positive new beginnings following an acrimonious start to the season for all involved.

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