Will Afghanistan players withdraw from PSL; and how will it impact the league?

Published - 21 Oct 2025, 11:20 IST | Updated - 21 Oct 2025, 11:28 IST

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) could soon face a major crisis following Afghanistan’s decision to withdraw from their scheduled T20 tri-series in Pakistan. The decision made in protest against the killing of three young Afghan cricketers during a recent airstrike in Paktika Province, has triggered outrage across Afghanistan and drawn strong reactions from global cricket bodies. With heightened tensions between the two neighboring nations, the participation of Afghan players in the PSL is now under serious threat.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced its withdrawal from the tri-series featuring Pakistan and Sri Lanka, citing the martyrdom of three young playersl Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon in a targeted attack in Urgun District. The International Cricket Council (ICC) and The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) expressed solidarity with the ACB.

Among the first to react was Afghanistan’s T20I captain Rashid Khan, who removed “Lahore Qalandars”, his PSL franchise from his X (formerly Twitter) bio. This act has been interpreted as a sign of his intent to withdraw from the PSL.

“I am deeply saddened by the loss of civilian lives in the recent Pakistani aerial strikes on Afghanistan a tragedy that claimed the lives of women, children, and aspiring young cricketers who dreamed of representing their nation on the world stage. These unjust and unlawful actions represent a grave violation of human rights and must not go unnoticed. In light of the precious innocent souls lost, I welcome the ACB’s decision to withdraw from upcoming fixtures against Pakistan. I stand with our people at this difficult time, our national dignity must come before all else.,” he wrote on X.

His decision has inspired similar feelings among other Afghan players, including Gulbadin Naib and Fazalhaq Farooqi, who condemned the attacks as barbaric and unforgivable. While the ACB has not officially barred its players from participating in PSL yet, but pressure from within Afghanistan makes their participation increasingly unlikely.

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After the ICC and the BCCI both condemned the incident, Pakistan’s federal minister for information, Ataullah Tarar, lashed out at what he called the ICC’s biased and unverified statement and demanded evidence of Pakistan’s involvement. Meanwhile, the PCB has replaced Zimbabwe for the November tri-series.

This crisis comes after India’s long-standing policy of avoiding bilateral sports engagements with Pakistan, especially recently after terror-related incidents such as the Pahalgam attack. Much like India’s move, Afghanistan now seems to be claiming its sovereignty through sports diplomacy.

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Notably, the PSL faces another major challenge, with a likely clash with the Indian Premier League (IPL) schedule in 2026. With the T20 World Cup set for early that year and Ramadan affecting Pakistan’s domestic window, the PCB is reportedly considering an April-May schedule, directly overlapping with the IPL.

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This scheduling collision could deal a heavy blow to PSL’s international appeal. In recent years, several top foreign players, from England, South Africa, and the West Indies have preferred the IPL due to higher pay, global visibility, and better infrastructure. The addition of two new PSL teams in 2026 may not be enough to break the loss of big international names if the overlap continues.

For Afghan players, many of whom are already big names in the IPL, prioritizing the Indian league over the PSL looks certain. Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz have all become household names in the IPL, and given the financial and professional advantages, they are unlikely to risk controversy or instability by playing in Pakistan. If Afghanistan’s players pull out, the PSL would lose not only some of its top-performing overseas stars but also goodwill across the world.