NEW DELHI: Several Afghanistan cricketers withdrew their names from the first-ever Players’ Auction held ahead of the 11th season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), amid growing political tension between the two countries.
A franchise owner confirmed that players such as Mujeeb ur Rahman, Seddiqullah Atal, Mohammad Nabi, Waqar Salamkheil and Fazalhaq Farooqi had initially registered for the auction held in Lahore on Wednesday.
However, the players later pulled out following backlash over Peshawar Zalmi’s direct signing of Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
PSL CEO Salman Naseer offered a different explanation, stating that some Afghanistan players were available in the auction pool but did not attract bids from franchises.
“There were a few Afghanistan players in the auction, but no franchise went for them,” Naseer said.
At the same time, he admitted that strained diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan had an impact on the situation.
“There was severe backlash after Zalmi signed Gurbaz because of the fractured relations between the two countries. After Gurbaz himself withdrew from the PSL, other Afghanistan players also decided it was better to avoid potential backlash,” he added.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained tense since late last year, following Pakistan’s aerial strikes on selected areas inside Afghanistan, carried out on the pretext of targeting militants.
The situation escalated further after several Afghanistan players criticised the Pakistan government on social media, prompting sharp responses from Pakistan-based accounts as well.
