Journalists walk out of Multan Sultans press conference in protest ahead of PSL final

The buildup to the marquee Pakistan Super League (PSL) final between Multan Sultans and Islamabad United on March 18 in Karachi has been affected by one more controversy. Videos have surfaced of journalists dramatically walking out of Sultans' pre-match press conference, with the team's media manager heard telling them to leave if they didn't wish to attend.

The incident took place as Multan's assistant coach Abdul Rehman had been brought in to address the media instead of captain Mohammad Rizwan or another senior player.

In the clips circulating on social media, a journalist can be seen speaking to the media manager before starting to walk off. "It's ok, those who don't want to sit can go," the media manager stated in Urdu.

While an official reason has not been provided, allegations surfaced online that the journalists had requested Rizwan or another marquee name to sit for the press conference instead of the assistant coach. Their demand going unheard prompted the walkout in protest.

Also read: Abrar Ahmed, Saud Shakeel fined for breaching code of conduct

'It was embarrassing to see' - Wasim Akram

The surprising scenes only added to the controversial atmosphere surrounding this PSL season's marquee event in Karachi. The National Stadium has drawn criticism for poor crowd attendance, especially during Islamabad's elimination match victory over Peshawar Zalmi to reach the final.

Pakistan cricket legend Wasim Akram spoke about the situation, saying, "It was embarrassing to see no crowd in Karachi. There was no crowd, literally no crowd for last night's match."

On the field, the two finalists have contrasting histories. Islamabad are making it to just their third PSL final appearance but have won the title on both previous occasions in 2016 and 2018. Multan, meanwhile, are playing their fourth consecutive final after winning in 2021 and finishing runners-up the past two years.

Also read: Peshawar Zalmi get penalized five runs against Multan Sultans for illegal fielding in playoff match

The Sultans topped the league table with seven wins and earned a direct final berth by beating Peshawar in the qualifier. United finished third before elimination wins over Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar took them to the final match.