KARACHI: The foreign players participating in the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) will continue their stay in the country despite the ongoing military stand-off between Pakistan and India, an official of the country’s cricket board has said.
India launched a devious attack on Pakistan late on Tuesday night before the latter’s retaliation escalated the situation. But while things got serious along the border, the foreign players had a meeting with the PSL leadership.
“The foreign players met PSL chief Salman Naseer at a dinner last night and they had a ‘gup shup’ [informal chat],” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesperson Amir Mir told Dawn on Wednesday. “Naturally the current scenario may have come under discussion.
“There is no chance of the foreign players leaving the country anyway with airspace issues, but they are living under a heavy security blanket of Pakistan Army.
“There have been surgical strikes on both sides of the border but we don’t expect that affecting the PSL. But if, God forbid, things do escalate, we will sit together to decide our next step.”
The PCB, meanwhile, did not expect the tensions to affect the ongoing PSL season, which is nearing its knockout stages.
The tournament returned to Rawalpindi with the match between Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators, with three more games to be played at the venue in the next three days while the final first-stage match of the PSL is scheduled for May 11 in Multan.
According to the PCB, the Qualifier is set to take place in Rawalpindi on May 13, while both the Eliminators and the final of the event are to be held on May 14, 16 and 18, respectively at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Cricket Board said on Wednesday that it was in touch with its players participating in the PSL.
“The BCB is in active coordination with the PCB and the Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad to ensure that all necessary measures are in place to guarantee the security of our players,” the board said in a statement.
Speaking to a Bangladesh sports outlet, BCB president Faruque Ahmed revealed that the board is taking a wait-and-see approach and will assess the ongoing situation over the next few days before making a final call.
“We are really working on the current situation [as far as going to Pakistan for the T20I series] and it can wait for another three to four days,” said Faruque. “Let’s see how it progresses but at the moment our main concern is regarding the two players [Nahid Rana and Rishad Hossain] who are currently in Pakistan competing in the PSL.”
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also announced that it would follow guidance from the UK Foreign Office and consult with its own security teams to assess the situation on the ground.
The board said it was in direct contact with players and will provide them with the latest security advice as the situation develops.
However, the ECB made it clear that the final decision on whether to remain in Pakistan for the tournament will rest with the individual players themselves.
“The board’s approach is to support its players with up-to-date information and expert guidance, while respecting their personal choices in light of the current regional tensions,” said the ECB.
New Zealand Cricket also released an official statement addressing the matter.
“We are aware of the relevant reports,” said NZC. “We continue to assess the security environment for our players and coaching staff in all overseas environments to ensure they’re in receipt of the most updated advice.”
Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2025