New Delhi, March 23 (NationPress) Following the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) decision to conduct the Pakistan Super League (PSL) without spectators due to the escalating conflict in West Asia, a militant faction from Pakistan has urged international players to withdraw from the league, asserting that their safety “cannot be guaranteed” in the current climate, which they describe as “unfit for any peaceful sporting activity.”

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed on Sunday that, despite the government's directive, the PSL will commence as planned on March 26, at only two locations and without an audience, in an effort to conserve resources like fuel amid the ongoing Gulf war.

However, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter group of the Tehrik-e-Taliban, issued a public statement targeting foreign cricketers, sending a stark warning that the precarious security situation in Pakistan renders it unsafe for overseas participants, urging them to withdraw from the PSL immediately.

“Today, the citizens of Pakistan, particularly those in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, are facing unparalleled challenges due to systemic military oppression and state-sanctioned violence. While our streets are filled with the funerals of our loved ones, the organized spectacle of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) stands as a cruel mockery of our suffering. Hosting such celebratory events while entire regions are in turmoil is akin to “rubbing salt into our wounds”, which we vehemently reject,” the statement declared.

“We wish to send a clear and urgent message to all PSL participants, particularly the foreign players: The current internal security and political situation in the country is highly volatile and unstable. In a context marked by military operations and civil unrest affecting large parts of the territory, the safety of international athletes cannot be assured. Under these dire circumstances, we strongly recommend prioritizing your personal safety and withdrawing from the tournament without delay. The current environment is not conducive to peaceful sporting endeavors.

“While we are not fundamentally against healthy sports activities, we refuse to accept the hypocrisy of the state. It is intolerable to promote an appearance of “normalcy” through cricket matches in one part of the country while state-sponsored atrocities continue without interruption in others. We will not allow the suffering of the oppressed to be overshadowed by the lights of a stadium, nor will we compromise the dignity of our people for the sake of political appearances,” it added.

The PSL 2026 lineup features notable players 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 put stringent security measures in place, officials have not yet formally connected the recent changes to the tournament's format with these threats.

As the season is set to begin on Thursday, all eyes are on how the PCB and the international players will navigate this developing situation.