The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has stated that the participation of its players in the upcoming Pakistan Super League will depend on government approval due to prevailing regional tensions.
Earlier, six Bangladeshi cricketers — Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon (Lahore Qalandars), and Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, and Rishad Hossain (Peshawar Zalmi) — had received No Objection Certificates (NOCs) after being signed by PSL franchises. The tournament is scheduled to run from March 26 to May 3.
However, the board has now decided to consult the government before permitting the players to travel, citing security concerns linked to the situation along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border.
“Of course, we will seek permission from the government before sending our cricketers for the PSL. Under normal circumstances, these things are not required. We provide clearance, they go, play, and return. But since the situation is not normal and there is a risk element concerning the players, obviously we will discuss it with the government,” BCB cricket operations chairman Nazmul Abedin said on Thursday (March 19).
“We will seek to know from the government whether it will be safe to travel or not, and based on that government decision, we will have to take the ultimate call on whether the players will go or not,” he added.
“Because it is not actually possible for us to understand the situation there. It is possible for the government to know. The government will know, and if the government tells us that it is safe to go and the players can travel, then the players will go. But, in principle, we have decided that we will give the NOC and they will go to play. But it depends on the situation at that time,” Nazmul further explained.
Scheduling impact and series commitments
If government clearance is granted, the players are expected to miss Bangladesh’s preparatory camp ahead of the upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand. The New Zealand team is scheduled to arrive on April 13 for three ODIs and three T20Is in Dhaka and Chattogram. The ODI fixtures are set for April 17, 20 and 23, followed by T20Is on April 27, 29 and May 2.
The BCB has issued partial NOCs to ensure most players remain available for the ODI matches, as Bangladesh continue their pursuit of qualification for next year’s ICC ODI World Cup.
Following their 2–1 series victory over Pakistan, Bangladesh moved up to ninth in the ICC ODI rankings. While a 3–0 win over New Zealand would not alter their position, it would reduce the gap with eighth-placed England, who currently hold a nine-point advantage.
NOC details for selected players
Mustafizur Rahman has been granted permission from March 26 to April 12 and again from April 24 to May 3, making him available for the ODI series but ruling him out of the T20Is. Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana and Rishad Hossain have NOCs valid until April 12, allowing them to feature in both formats. Parvez Hossain Emon has received clearance until April 21 and remains part of the T20I squad only.
