Ali Tareen | Pakistan

Ali Tareen emerged as a surprise contender in the bidding war to hold a new football league in Pakistan, with the former owner of Pakistan Super League (PSL) cricket franchise Multan Sultans in a race against two franchise league merchants, who have long tried to get an event underway. Last month, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) had invited expressions of interest from individuals and companies looking to hold a league in a bid to revive the domestic structure of the game in the country. Tareen confirmed on Wednesday, the deadline day for submission, that he had sent a proposal. “I have proposed a season (six-month) long league for Pakistan football, not a flashy, one-month cash-grab tournament,” Ali wrote on X, in a jibe at the proposed franchise leagues. Pakistan hasn’t had a functioning league since the last edition of the Pakistan Premier Football League — which had a mix of departments and a smattering of clubs — in 2019. Ali, who was denied renewal of Multan Sultans by the Pakistan Cricket Board ...