Kamal Ghorui
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.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. 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,” the statement read.A Jamaat-ul-Ahrar spokesperson later confirmed the warning in a conversation with The Sunday Guardian. “We want to advise the relevant cricket boards not to send their players to Pakistan. If something happens to them, it will not be our responsibility. We have already warned,” he said.When asked whether this meant preventing matches from taking place, he added, “Yes, we will do our best to ensure that the matches do not happen and the players do not play.”This year’s PSL features several overseas players, including David Warner, Steve Smith, Moeen Ali, Devon Conway and Adam Zampa. Their 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 a recent Big Bash League campaign.Meanwhile, the league will be played without spectators as Pakistan deals with a fuel crisis. PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that all matches will be held behind closed doors and restricted to two venues.The tournament is scheduled to run from March 26 to May 3.
