PSL 2026 to be cancelled? Foreign players warned by Pakistani militant group: 'If something happens, not our responsibility'

Some of the international stars have already reached Pakistan for PSL 2026. Image: X-MultanSultans/KarachiKings The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 has been surrounded by controversy after a militant group in Pakistan issued a warning to foreign players who are expected to participate in the tournament, starting March 26. This development comes just a day after Mohsin Naqvi, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), announced that the league would be held behind closed doors at just two venues in Lahore and Karachi due to the ongoing West Asia conflict and the ongoing shortage of gas in the country. Pak militant group issues warning According to The Sunday Guardian, a senior commander from Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar has warned overseas cricket boards against sending their players to Pakistan for PSL 2026. The group recently released a statement urging foreign players to withdraw from the league. The report claims that they spoke to the commander of the militant group to confirm the news and that the group has authenticated the warning. "We want to advise the relevant cricket boards not to send their players to Pakistan. If something happens, it will not be our responsibility. We have already warned," the commander was quoted as saying. When asked about what they would do if the international cricketers still participated in PSL 2026, the commander said, "We will do whatever is in our capacity... we will try to ensure the matches do not happen." PSL 2026 season will see several well-known international cricketers take part. Players like David Warner, Steve Smith, Moeen Ali, Devon Conway and Adam Zampa, who were all part of the Indian Premier League once, are among the foreign stars expected to take part in the Pakistani tournament this year. Meanwhile, Pakistan was recently involved in cross-border skirmishes with Afghanistan, which created a sense of fear among foreign stakeholders of the league. This could also be one of the reasons why the PCB has decided to keep the tournament behind closed doors this season, apart from the logistical issues caused by the Iran-Israel war.