Bangladesh Cricket Board Takes Big Call On PSL Participation For Players Amid Conflict In Pakistan

The participation of Bangladesh cricket team players in the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) faced a major roadblock in light of the ongoing regional tensions. Six players, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon (Lahore Qalandars), Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana, Tanzid Hasan Tamim (Peshawar Zalmi), and Rishad Hossain (Peshawar Zalmi), were granted No Objection Certificates (NOC) by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) after they were picked in the auction. However, the board has now decided to seek government approval before allowing the players to travel, according to Cricbuzz.

"Of course, we will seek permission from the government before sending our cricketers for the PSL. Under normal circumstances, these things are not required. We provide clearance, they go, play, and return. But since the situation is not normal and there is a risk element concerning the players, obviously we will discuss it with the government," BCB cricket operations chairman Nazmul Abedin told Cricbuzz.

"We will seek to know from the government whether it will be safe to travel or not, and based on that government decision, we will have to take the ultimate call on whether the players will go or not," he said.

"Because it is not actually possible for us to understand the situation there. It is possible for the government to know. The government will know, and if the government tells us that it is safe to go and the players can travel, then the players will go. But, in principle, we have decided that we will give the NOC and they will go to play. But it depends on the situation at that time," Nazmul added.

The report added that if the players are allowed to travel to Pakistan, they will miss the preparatory camp for the white-ball series against New Zealand starting in the last week of March.

Bangladesh will take on New Zealand in a three-match ODI series followed by a three-match T20I series.

According to Cricbuzz, the BCB has issued partial NOCs to the players as of now in order to make sure that they will be available for the New Zealand series. While Mustafizur was granted an NOC from March 26 to April 12, and again from April 24 to May 3, Tanzid, Shoriful, Rana and Rishad were granted NOCs until April 12.

Parvez Hossain was granted an NOC until April 21 and will only take part in the T20I series.

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