The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said there will be no problem with overseas players traveling to participate in the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) despite concerns raised by the situation in the Gulf region. The competition is scheduled to start on March 26 and will feature a number of foreign players, including those from Australia.
The 11th PSL will bring together domestic and foreign players, and all preparations are underway as planned.
Speaking to news agency PTI, PCB sources refuted reports that Australian cricketers were hesitant to travel to Pakistan due to border tensions in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
“All travel arrangements and plans are in place and all Australian players signed for PSL 11 will arrive from next week,” PTI quoted sources as saying.
Recent reports claim that the Australian government has advised its players not to travel to Peshawar, where a PSL match is due to be played, citing its proximity to the Afghan border.
Several Australian players took part in this year’s PSL, including Steve Smith, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Peter Siddle, Aaron Hardy, Marnus Labuschagne, Ashton Turner, Jack Fraser-McGurk, Josh Phillip, Riley Meredith and Ben McDermott.
This season, the PSL will expand to eight teams for the first time. It will also overlap with the Indian Premier League for the second consecutive year, with the IPL starting three days after the PSL.