Rishad Hossain, Bangladesh leg-spinner, said that he and the other overseas players were relieved to reach Dubai on Saturday after the Pakistan Super League (PSL) was put on hold amid the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan. The after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suspended the ongoing Indian Premier League 2025 after the heightened tensions between the nations.
Rishad also said New Zealand batting all-rounder Darly Mitchell told him he would never ‘return to Pakistan’, especially in these situations, as the overseas players were all horrified. “Foreign players like Sam Billings, Daryl Mitchell, Kushal Perera, David Wiese, Tom Curran… all of them were so frightened… Landing in Dubai, Mitchell told me that he would never go to Pakistan again, especially in this kind of scenario. Overall, they were all horrified,” said Rishad at Dubai Airport, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
He also mentioned how difficult it was to console worried English cricketer Tom Curran, who started crying. “He (Tom Curran) went to the airport, but heard that the airport was closed. Then he started crying like a little child, that it took two or three people to handle him,” he added.
All foreign players in the Pakistan league were flown out to the UAE, from where they were booked on connecting flights to their final destinations.
“Alhamdulillah, we have reached Dubai after overcoming a crisis, and I am feeling well now,” said Rishad. “After landing in Dubai when we heard that a missile struck the airport 20 minutes after we took off from the airport. The news was scary as well as sorrowful and now after reaching Dubai we are feeling relieved,” he said, adding that his family spent some sleepless nights,” he added.
According to Rishad, the PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, initially wanted to hold the remaining PSL matches in Karachi. However, the decision was later changed after several players raised safety concerns with him.
