Australian players might avoid travelling to Peshawar during the eleventh season of the Pakistan Super League, with the Australian government warning them against doing so due to the recent air strike from Pakistan in Afghanistan that killed 400 civilians.
The Report
According to a report in CODE Sports, an Australian publication as quoted by Times Now, the reason for the Australian players to avoid travelling to Peshawar is that the Australian government has listed the city in the “do not travel” zone.
The Players
Names like Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, and David Warner have been picked by different franchises in the first-ever player auction, but with the current geopolitical situations with war between Iran and Israel and Pakistan and Afghanistan, the organisers will have their task cut out in ensuring that the players are available on time for the PSL.
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The Conflict
Other than the case of Australian players who might avoid travelling to Peshawar, players from Afghanistan won’t take part in the Pakistan Super League, the reason being the strained relations between the two countries.
Pakistan have been killing innocent civilians for the past few months in Afghanistan through air strikes. As a result, Afghanistan refused to play the T20I series involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka, which was held in Pakistan last year.
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The Reaction
Reacting to constant attacks by Pakistan, Afghan cricketers like Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sediqullah Atal, Mohammad Nabi, Waqar Salamkheil and Fazalhaq Farooqi withdrew their names from the auction.
The News
Coming back to the news of the Australian government’s warning to its players to avoid travelling to Peshawar, the city is scheduled to host one game in the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League, with players like Aaron Hardie and Jake Fraser-McGurk being involved. The game in question will be played between Peshawar Zalmi and Rawalpindiz at the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium on March 28.