The eleventh edition of PSL, scheduled to begin on March 26, might be pushed back due to the fresh threat received from one of the armed groups in Pakistan Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) faction, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, warning the overseas players from participating in the league.
What They Said
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) released a statement according to which the commander said, “We want to advise the relevant cricket boards not to send their players to Pakistan. If something happens, it will not be our responsibility. We have already warned.” “We will do whatever is in our capacity… we will try to ensure the matches do not happen,” he added.
The Situation
Many overseas players have opted out of the Pakistan Super League due to various reasons. Some of them have got a better offer from IPL teams, like Dasun Shanaka and Blessing Muzarabani, while Bangladeshi players are also awaiting orders from the board, with the country’s government contemplating not allowing their players to play in Pakistan due to security concerns.
Aso Read: Bangladeshi Players Likely to Pull Out of PSL Due to Security Concerns
The Decision
Amidst all the chaos that the league finds itself in, the board has decided to limit PSL to two cities and as many stadiums to minimise the use of power and fuel, taking into account the current geopolitical situation.
Despite the threat and other concerns regarding the shortage of power all over the country, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said that the league will go ahead as planned. According to Naqvi, “We cannot ask people to restrict their movements and then have full stadiums every day.”
The Way Forward
With less than a week to go for the new season of the PSL to begin, it is to be seen how smoothly the Pakistan Cricket Board will be able to conduct the league, which will also see the addition of two new teams this year, taking the total number of teams from six to eight.
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