Former owner of Multan Sultans Ali Khan Tareen has announced the launch of the Pakistan Tape Ball Championship, aiming to provide street cricketers with a professional platform to showcase their talent.
In his announcement, Tareen revealed that after watching the game from the sidelines as a fan, he is stepping in as a stakeholder this year to help elevate tape ball cricket by organizing a structured tournament.
The championship is scheduled to take place from February 28 to March 7 and will feature a prize pool of more than Rs10 million.
Tape ball cricket stars including Taimoor Mirza, Umari Pacer and Fahad Mian Channu are expected to participate in the event, which will be played under newly designed rules aimed at enhancing excitement and competitiveness.
Tareen said that the streets already possess immense cricketing talent and the initiative is intended to provide aspiring players with a larger platform to demonstrate their skills.
He also announced that the players’ draft for the Pakistan Tape Ball Championship will be held on February 21.
Tareen had stepped away from the franchise at the end of last year and also opted not to participate in the auction for one of the two new Pakistan Super League teams.
Announcing his decision on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Tareen said that after careful consideration, he and his family had decided not to take part in the PSL franchise auction despite initially intending to bid for Multan Sultans if the team went up for sale.
He maintained that his association with the franchise was never just about owning a cricket team but was deeply connected to South Punjab, adding that if he returns to the PSL in the future, it would be for the same reason.
Tareen further said that South Punjab remains close to his heart and expressed readiness to bid again when the Multan franchise becomes available for sale, while wishing the bidders the best for the auction process.