The Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) 2026 season is facing a major crisis with problems from all corners ahead of the tournament opener on Thursday (March 26) with the participation of Bangladesh players also doubtful now despite the close relations shared between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
Concerns have emerged from the Bangladesh government on whether their players should play the tournament.
After the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) stated that they will take government clearance before handing players a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to play in the league, the country’s sports minister, has claimed that if there is a security threat, players will not be sent.
“Definitely our cricketers are not going if there is a security concern (in PSL),” Aminul told this website on Sunday. “First BCB has to inform us about it (security concern) and afterwards we will take an official decision based upon our observation (following scrutiny from national agencies). If the BCB ensures us that there is no problem if our cricketers go there, in that case we don’t have any problem.
“They (BCB) have to ensure what the players want because we don’t want to discourage sports and we want everyone to play from their respective places. The BCB should consult us about security purposes and everything, and if they can ensure that (everything is fine), in that case we can proceed,” said Haque in an interaction with Cricbuzz.
The situation is a result of the military conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Earlier, the Australian government had declared Peshawar as a ‘no travel zone’ for its players too.
Six players from Bangladesh: Mustafizur Rahman (Lahore Qalandars), Parvez Hossain Emon (Lahore Qalandars), Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana, Tanzid Hasan Tamim (Peshawar Zalmi), and Rishad Hossain (Peshawar Zalmi). However, the latest reports have claimed they have been granted NOCs. Photos on Monday (March 23) that were posted on social media also revealed that Bangladesh players had taken their flights to Pakistan to join their team.
The PSL has been hit with a major crisis, as the due to the West Asia war has forced them to play the entire tournament behind closed doors and only in two venues despite six cities being initially allotted matches.
Over recent days, some players have withdrawn from the league, with a few joining Indian Premier League (IPL) sides as