The participation of Bangladesh players in the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 is in doubt, as it is subject to government clearance.
The ongoing regional tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have led the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to adopt a cautious approach. Hence, the final call will be taken by the Bangladesh government. Earlier, the BCB had issued No-Objection Certificates (NOC) to six players – Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon (Lahore Qalandars), Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana, Tanzid Hasan Tamim (Peshawar Zalmi), and Rishad Hossain (Peshawar Zalmi), and they were all set to feature in the competition, set to begin on March 26.
However, the board has now decided to seek advice from the government before they allow the players to travel to Pakistan.
“Of course, we will seek permission from the government before sending our cricketers for the PSL. Under normal circumstances, these things are not required. We provide clearance, they go, play, and return. But since the situation is not normal and there is a risk element concerning the players, obviously, we will discuss it with the government,” BCB cricket operations chairman Nazmul Abedin told Cricbuzz.
“We will seek to know from the government whether it will be safe to travel or not, and based on that government decision, we will have to take the ultimate call on whether the players will go or not. Because it is not actually possible for us to understand the situation there,” he added.
Abedin also added that the BCB cannot determine the threat level, as these details will be provided by the government. He also said that the NOCs will be given to the players, but their participation in the tournament depends on the situation.
“It is possible for the government to know. The government will know, and if the government tells us that it is safe to go and the players can travel, then the players will go. But, in principle, we have decided that we will give the NOC and they will go to play. But it depends on the situation at that time,” Nazmul added.
PSL 2026
If the government clearance comes through, then the PSL-bound Bangladesh players will miss the preparatory camp for the upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand. New Zealand are set to arrive in Dhaka on April 13 for three ODIs and as many T20Is.
The BCB has issued partial NOCs to its players, ensuring that they remain available for the ODIs against New Zealand, as Bangladesh are still in contention for qualification for next year’s ODI World Cup.
According to Cricbuzz, Mustafizur has been granted an NOC from March 26 to April 12, and again from April 24 to May 3. Earlier, he was scheduled to play for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2026 season, but he was released by the franchise owing to the strained relations between India and Bangladesh due to the killings of multiple Hindus in Bangladesh. The BCCI asked the KKR to do so, and the franchise obliged.