Terror threat rocks Pakistan's PSL: Foreign players asked to 'withdraw immediately'
The development comes a day after the league was reduced to a closed-door event at two venues — Karachi and Lahore — amid the ongoing West Asia situation and related security issues.
The 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), set to begin on March 26, faces uncertainty after a warning was issued by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to foreign players against participation in the tournament. The Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction of the group has advised overseas players to withdraw from the tournament, citing security concerns. The development comes a day after the league was reduced to a closed-door event at two venues, Karachi and Lahore, amid the ongoing West Asia situation and related security issues.
A Pakistan-based X handle ‘Islamabad Post’ shared a statement attributed to the TTP faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which warned foreign players to "prioritize your personal security and withdraw from the tournament immediately. " "Today, the people of Pakistan, specifically those in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan are enduring unprecedented hardships due to systemic military oppression and state-led violence. While our streets are marked by the funerals of our loved ones and our mothers mourn the disappearance of their sons, the organized spectacle of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) serves as a cruel mockery of our suffering.
Hosting such festive displays while entire regions bleed is an act of ‘rubbing salt into our wounds’ that we categorically reject," the statement said. — ISBPost (@ISBPost) It further read, "We wish to convey a clear and urgent message to all participants of the PSL, especially the foreign players: The current internal security and political landscape of the country is volatile and precarious. In a climate where military operations and civil unrest dominate significant portions of the territory, the safety of international athletes cannot be guaranteed.
Given these dire circumstances, we strongly advise you to prioritize your personal security and withdraw from the tournament immediately. " The group said it is not opposed to cricket but questioned the timing of the tournament. "While we are not inherently opposed to healthy sporting activities, we refuse to tolerate the state's hypocrisy.