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In a chilling sequence of events, Australian and international cricketers narrowly avoided a potential disaster after flying out of Pakistan just hours before India launched missile strikes targeting Nur Khan Airbase, located near the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. This same airbase was used by players, officials, and broadcasters to exit the country.
A few hours here and there, and there could have been a major incident. The timing has raised serious alarms. Is it just a coincidence that these attacks occurred right when international cricket stars were in Pakistan for the PSL? Could both drone activity and missile strikes have been orchestrated not only as acts of military aggression but also to disrupt the Pakistan Super League? First, the drone attacks a few hours before the match, and then an attack on Nur Khan Airbase shortly after overseas players left.
No option left but to postpone PSL!
PCB has officially postponed the remaining matches of PSL X following a string of alarming developments that began with the downing of Indian surveillance drone near Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The match between Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings, originally scheduled for Thursday, was first rescheduled and later suspended as tensions escalated. The next day’s fixture, Zalmi vs Lahore Qalandars, was also called off.
The PCB had initially planned to shift the league to the UAE, but within hours of that announcement, a full postponement was confirmed. The decision came after reports of multiple drone sightings and missile strikes in areas close to where the matches were to be played. International players, including Australians, were promptly flown out of Pakistan on a chartered flight to Dubai.
Is BCCI behind PSL's cancellation?
This sudden escalation raises serious questions. Was the targeting of areas near cricketing venues purely strategic, or could it be part of a larger attempt to undermine the PSL? Is it just a coincidence that the current ICC chairman is Jay Shah, who also holds a senior position in the ICC and BCCI simultaneously? Could these developments be linked to a deliberate or indirect effort to shift the spotlight away from the PSL and unsettle international cricket in Pakistan?
While no formal allegations have been made against the BCCI, some Pakistani cricket fans are left wondering: Why does cricket always seem to be the first casualty in Indo-Pak conflicts? Why now, when Pakistan had just started to restore its global image as a safe cricketing destination?
It’s important to remember the strides Pakistan has made to bring international cricket back to its grounds after years of isolation following the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team. The PSL played a crucial role in that revival. International players were once again willing to tour, enjoying not just the sport but Pakistan’s famed hospitality and growing security infrastructure. That progress has now suffered a significant blow.
Even more ironic is the fact that while missile strikes rained down and the PSL was suspended, the National Women’s One-Day Tournament 2024/25 continued quietly in the background. Could this contrast point to selective pressure or something more politically motivated?
What if the players were still there?
To be clear, as a Pakistani cricket fan, this is not about conspiracy theories or shifting blame without evidence. But questions do arise. If India was not trying to influence or disrupt the PSL, why were military installations near cricket venues targeted just hours after foreign players had flown out? Why were there drones in the vicinity of stadiums during the Rawalpindi leg?
Cricket has long been a bridge between nations, especially India and Pakistan. But it now appears to be caught in the crosshairs, literally. Both the IPL and PSL have been postponed amid rising hostilities, with Australian and English players forced into rapid evacuations. The Nur Khan Airbase, from which players departed, was struck by Indian missiles only hours after their flight left, highlighting how close this came to becoming a tragedy.
In this volatile climate, questions must be asked, not to provoke, but to protect. Who benefits from international cricket being suspended in Pakistan? Why are we still struggling to insulate sport from geopolitics?
Here are some pictures of the demolished Rawalpindi stadium:
A few hours here and there, and there could have been a major incident. The timing has raised serious alarms. Is it just a coincidence that these attacks occurred right when international cricket stars were in Pakistan for the PSL? Could both drone activity and missile strikes have been orchestrated not only as acts of military aggression but also to disrupt the Pakistan Super League? First, the drone attacks a few hours before the match, and then an attack on Nur Khan Airbase shortly after overseas players left.
No option left but to postpone PSL!
PCB has officially postponed the remaining matches of PSL X following a string of alarming developments that began with the downing of Indian surveillance drone near Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The match between Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings, originally scheduled for Thursday, was first rescheduled and later suspended as tensions escalated. The next day’s fixture, Zalmi vs Lahore Qalandars, was also called off.
The PCB had initially planned to shift the league to the UAE, but within hours of that announcement, a full postponement was confirmed. The decision came after reports of multiple drone sightings and missile strikes in areas close to where the matches were to be played. International players, including Australians, were promptly flown out of Pakistan on a chartered flight to Dubai.
Is BCCI behind PSL's cancellation?
This sudden escalation raises serious questions. Was the targeting of areas near cricketing venues purely strategic, or could it be part of a larger attempt to undermine the PSL? Is it just a coincidence that the current ICC chairman is Jay Shah, who also holds a senior position in the ICC and BCCI simultaneously? Could these developments be linked to a deliberate or indirect effort to shift the spotlight away from the PSL and unsettle international cricket in Pakistan?
While no formal allegations have been made against the BCCI, some Pakistani cricket fans are left wondering: Why does cricket always seem to be the first casualty in Indo-Pak conflicts? Why now, when Pakistan had just started to restore its global image as a safe cricketing destination?
It’s important to remember the strides Pakistan has made to bring international cricket back to its grounds after years of isolation following the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team. The PSL played a crucial role in that revival. International players were once again willing to tour, enjoying not just the sport but Pakistan’s famed hospitality and growing security infrastructure. That progress has now suffered a significant blow.
Even more ironic is the fact that while missile strikes rained down and the PSL was suspended, the National Women’s One-Day Tournament 2024/25 continued quietly in the background. Could this contrast point to selective pressure or something more politically motivated?
What if the players were still there?
To be clear, as a Pakistani cricket fan, this is not about conspiracy theories or shifting blame without evidence. But questions do arise. If India was not trying to influence or disrupt the PSL, why were military installations near cricket venues targeted just hours after foreign players had flown out? Why were there drones in the vicinity of stadiums during the Rawalpindi leg?
Cricket has long been a bridge between nations, especially India and Pakistan. But it now appears to be caught in the crosshairs, literally. Both the IPL and PSL have been postponed amid rising hostilities, with Australian and English players forced into rapid evacuations. The Nur Khan Airbase, from which players departed, was struck by Indian missiles only hours after their flight left, highlighting how close this came to becoming a tragedy.
In this volatile climate, questions must be asked, not to provoke, but to protect. Who benefits from international cricket being suspended in Pakistan? Why are we still struggling to insulate sport from geopolitics?
Here are some pictures of the demolished Rawalpindi stadium:
