KARACHI: Former England opener Alex Hales and South African batter Rassie van der Dussen will feature for Islamabad United in the remainder of the HBL Pakistan Super League (HBL), which resumes on Saturday following a week of postponement due to cross-border tensions between Pakistan and India.
The disruption had seen all six franchises of the tournament release all their players, with the overseas participants flying back to their home countries as military action escalated on the Pakistan-India border before a ceasefire brought the conflict to a halt.
Although the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued a revised schedule for the PSL on Tuesday, the franchises are scrambling to secure the availability of their respective overseas players.
However, a significant number of them have ruled out the possibility of returning to Pakistan to play in the cash-rich league, while others have other domestic and international commitments.
But with United securing van der Dussen and Hales’ services, it seems that teams would be somewhat back in shape ahead of the May 17 resumption -- which would see Peshawar Zalmi take on Karachi Kings at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
“A world-class player with a stellar record across formats, Rassie’s presence adds immense value to the Pakistan Super League,” United said in a press release on Wednesday. “His professionalism, consistency, and global stature make him one of the most respected batters in the modern game.”
Hales, meanwhile, expressed his excitement over featuring in yet another PSL season.
“When they signed me back in April, I was really looking forward to joining up with the squad for the latter stages of the tournament,” said the 36-year-old. “With the change in PSL dates, I’ve had to reshuffle a few commitments — but I’m absolutely thrilled to be back in Pakistan playing in Red.”
Kings’ captain and former Australian opener David Warner’s decision to return by a PCB spokesperson on Tuesday. However, local media reports suggested that eight New Zealand players, including former captain Kane Williamson, remained hesitant despite enhanced security assurances.
Dawn understands that Quetta Gladiators’ Kusal Mendis has also committed his return, while Kings’ Mohammad Nabi is also expected to join the team’s squad this week.
On May 18, Rawalpindi will host a double-header as Multan Sultans will take on Quetta Gladiators in the afternoon, while Peshawar Zalmi and Lahore Qalandars will go head on head in the evening encounter. Islamabad United and Karachi Kings will feature in the last group-match of the event the next day.
The action will then shift to Lahore, where the first Qualifier is scheduled on May 21. Eliminator 1 and Qualifier 2 will follow on May 22 and 23, respectively.
Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2025
