PSL franchises rush to complete squads as few foreign players’ availability remains uncertain

Franchises in the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) are in a race against time to finalize their squads as the tournament is set to resume in just two days. The replacement draft scheduled for yesterday could not be held because not all team representatives were available at the same time. Instead, each team submitted the names of their replacement players directly to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Some franchises even contacted foreign players on their own to confirm availability.

The PCB has reached out to cricket boards in Australia, New Zealand, and England to secure No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for the incoming players. The board has assured these foreign boards that the security situation in Pakistan is now stable following a recent ceasefire.

Teams started arriving in Rawalpindi on Wednesday evening, and training is set to begin on Thursday. Most of the foreign players are expected to reach Pakistan by Friday.

The PCB will cover the travel expenses of foreign players who had returned after the suspension of the PSL. After the tournament was rescheduled, business-class tickets to bring the players back to Pakistan at the last moment turned out to be extremely expensive. To ease the financial burden on the franchises, the board stepped in to share the costs. According to sources, the franchises were informed about this decision three days ago.

The PSL is also facing operational difficulties due to the absence of a dedicated management team. Officials responsible for player coordination are working only part-time. As a result, most responsibilities are being handled directly by PCB CEO Salman Naseer. This is his first edition in charge, and the time constraints have made it difficult to appoint full-time staff, leading to further management challenges.

Meanwhile, preparations for the upcoming T20 series against Bangladesh have been finalized. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was waiting for government clearance, which now seems likely due to the friendly ties between the two nations. The T20I series is expected to be played on May 27, May 30, June 1, June 3, and June 5. An official announcement is expected on Thursday or Friday.