'Security Concern' Puts Bangladesh Players' PSL Participation At Risk

The ongoing Israel-Iran-USA conflict has put the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in jeopardy. Prioritising the safety and well-being of players, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced that the tournament will now be restricted to just two venues - Karachi and Lahore. In addition, all matches in the initial phase will be played behind closed doors. Following these developments, Bangladesh's State Minister for Youth and Sports, Aminul Haque, has issued a strong directive regarding the participation of Bangladeshi players in the PSL.

According to a report by Cricbuzz, Haque said that the country will prioritise the safety of its players, and a final decision will be taken only after a review meeting with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

"Definitely our cricketers are not going if there is a security concern in the PSL," Haque said. "First, the BCB has to inform us about any security concerns, and afterwards we will take an official decision based on our observations following scrutiny from national agencies."

He further added: "If the BCB ensures that there is no problem for our cricketers to go there, then we have no issue. The BCB must also consider what the players want because we do not want to discourage sports. We want everyone to play wherever they are supposed to. The BCB should consult us regarding security and everything else, and if they can ensure that all is well, then we can proceed."

Haque also commented on the ban on the broadcast of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in Bangladesh, stating that the situation will be reviewed soon.

"We have not discussed it yet. After the vacation ends, we will speak with the cricket board and understand the actual situation before making a decision. We want to build a friendly relationship. Sports should not be politicised. We need to understand why the IPL broadcast was stopped, and then we will take a call," he said.

IPL will begin March 28, while the first game of the PSL will be played on March 26. 

Topics mentioned in this article

Pakistan Cricket Team Bangladesh Cricket Team Mustafizur Rahman Babar Azam Shaheen Afridi Cricket