Pakistan Cricket Board Wednesday vowed to continue holding the remaining matches of the Pakistan Super League despite India’s attack and further escalation in the hostilities between the two countries.
Pakistan said India launched air strikes on several parts of the country in retaliation of last week’s Pahalgam attacks which left 26 tourists killed. Ever since the attacks India had vowed to retaliate through attacks which came about on Wednesday night.
Despite some of the 37 foreign players showing reservation over their security, Pakistan Cricket Board said in a statement the League will continue as schedule with a match between Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators in Rawalpindi.
Sources told Telecom Asia Sport (www.telecomasia.net) some of the foreign players especially Australians and New Zealanders have shown reservation over security in the wake of Indian attacks. Sources said some withdrawals of the players are not out of question.
“David Warner, Mitchell Owen, Riley Meredith and Ben Dwarshuis are from Australia while New Zealand’s Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Tim Siefert and Kane Williamson are in Pakistan and have shown reservations but PCB have convince them of foolproof security arrangements,” said sources.
Seven England players - Sam Billings, James Vince, Tom Curran? David Willey, Chris Jordan, Tom Kohler-Canmore and Luke Wood - are also involved in PSL. Sources said Willey and Jordan have told their franchise Multan Sultans that they want to leave as their team is already out of Play-off and have just one match to play.
Sources said England and Wales Cricket Board and Professional Cricketers Association have been in touch with the players and have still not directed them to leave but can change that on travel advisory by the UK government.
Five matches of the League phase as well as the four play-offs remain in the PSL’s tenth edition. Sources said there are chances that the play-off matches including the final scheduled for Lahore could be shifted to either Karachi or Rawalpindi due to Lahore’s close proximity to Indian border.
