New Delhi, March 23 – Following the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) announcement that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) would be held behind closed doors due to the conflict in West Asia, a militant group in Pakistan warned overseas players to withdraw from the league, claiming that their security "cannot be guaranteed" as the current environment is "unsuitable for any peaceful sporting activity."
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed on Sunday that the PSL would begin as scheduled on March 26, but only at two venues, with no spectators, to conserve resources such as petrol amid the Gulf war.
However, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of the Tehrik-e-Taliban militant group, issued a public statement targeting international cricketers, and the group issued a stark warning, claiming that the volatile security situation in Pakistan makes it unsafe for overseas players to compete, urging them to withdraw immediately from the PSL.
"Today, the people of Pakistan, particularly those in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, are enduring unprecedented hardship 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 are bleeding is an act of "rubbing salt into our wounds" that we categorically reject," their statement 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 situation in 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 environment is currently unsuitable for any peaceful sporting activity."
"While we are not inherently opposed to healthy sporting activities, we refuse to tolerate the state's hypocrisy. It is unacceptable to promote an image of "normalcy" through cricket matches in one part of the country while state-sponsored atrocities continue unabated in another. We will not allow the blood of the oppressed to be overshadowed by the lights of a stadium, nor will we permit the dignity of our people to be compromised for the sake of political optics," it added.
The PSL 2026 roster includes prominent names such as Australia’s David Warner, Steven Smith, and Adam Zampa, England’s Moeen Ali, and New Zealand’s Devon Conway. Although the PCB has implemented rigorous security protocols, officials have yet to formally link recent alterations to the tournament’s format with these threats.
With the season scheduled to commence on Thursday, attention is now focused on how the PCB and the participating international players will respond to the unfolding situation.