The 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which began on March 26, faces uncertainty after the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) issued a warning against foreign players participating 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 as the one-day league was held behind closed doors in two venues, Karachi and Lahore, amid the current situation in West Asia and related security issues.Islamabad Post, a Pakistan-based X-handle, shared a statement attributed to the TTP faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, warning foreign players to “prioritize their personal safety and withdraw from the tournament immediately.”“Today, the people of Pakistan, especially the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, are facing unprecedented hardships due to systematic military repression and state violence. While our streets are decorated with the funerals of our loved ones and our mothers mourn the loss of their sons, the organized spectacle of the Pakistan Super League will be our LPS hole. The display of such festivities while blood flows across the region is an act of ‘sprinkling salt on our wounds’ that we call unequivocally reject,” the statement said.It added, “We wish to convey a clear and urgent message to all PSL participants, especially foreign players: The current internal security and political landscape of the country is unstable and fragile. In an environment where military operations and civil unrest dominate major parts of the region, the safety of international players cannot be guaranteed. We advise you to strictly advise personal security and withdraw from the tournament immediately.”“The group said it was not against cricket but questioned the timing of the tournament. “While we are not against healthy sports activities, we refuse to tolerate the hypocrisy of the state. It is unacceptable to promote an image of ‘normalcy’ through cricket matches in one part of the country while state-sponsored atrocities continue in the other. The dignity of our people should be compromised for the sake of politics.A Jamaat-ul-Ahrar spokesperson later confirmed the warning in a chat with The Sunday Guardian. He said that we want to advise the respective cricket boards not to send their players to Pakistan, if anything happens to them, we will not be responsible, we have already warned.When asked if this meant stopping matches from happening, he added, “Yes, we will try our best to ensure that matches don’t happen and players don’t play.”This year’s PSL features many foreign players including David Warner, Steve Smith, Moeen Ali, Dion Conway and Adam Zampa. His participation is part of efforts to bring international players back to the league.On Monday, Steve Smith arrived in Pakistan to join Multan Sultans and is set to make his debut in the tournament after the recent Big Bash League campaign.Meanwhile, the league will be played without spectators as Pakistan grapples with the fuel crisis. PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that all matches will be behind closed doors and will be limited to two venues.This tournament will be played from March 26 to May 3.
