THE abrupt pullout of a number of foreign players, competing in the Pakistan Super League, from the two playoffs and the final in Lahore and Karachi respectively has drawn widespread criticism from cricketing circles, besides forcing a rethink of strategy by franchise owners. Key overseas players, including Kevin Pietersen, Shane Watson, Eoin Morgan, Kumar Sangakkara, Jason Roy, Alex Hales, Sam Billings and others, have cited either security or personal reasons for not travelling to Pakistan with their respective PSL outfits. This has been a setback to the cash-rich league, now in its third season. All the above players are a huge draw for their respective teams and their absence could dangerously undermine the level of competition anticipated for the three games in Pakistan, the tickets for which have already been sold out. The refusal of the reluctant brigade rankles more when seen against others like J.P. Duminy, Darren Sammy, Imran Tahir, Luke Ronchi and Colin Ingram who have expressed no qualms about playing in Pakistan if their teams qualify.

No surprise then that many of our former players have called on the six PSL franchises to make it mandatory for overseas players from next year to ensure their presence in the league matches in Pakistan or pay a heavy penalty. The situation is such that Moin Khan, the coach of the Quetta Gladiators, has said that overseas players refusing to travel with their franchises for the playoffs are not supportive of Pakistan cricket and should not have been approached by the PCB. While that may come across as unduly harsh, it is nevertheless true that flaws exist in the current structure. PCB chairman Najam Sethi has urged the foreign players to review their stance and assured them of foolproof security. But much more needs to be done — the government, security agencies and cricket authorities must work jointly on a long-term plan that removes foreign players’ reservations of playing in Pakistan, with the ultimate goal of relocating all future PSL matches within the country.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2018