The 2026 season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has come under serious doubt after an armed rebel group has directly threatened international players. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which is affiliated with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has issued a warning to international players such as David Warner, Steve Smith, and Daryl Mitchell not to visit Pakistan for the tournament.
#Cricket | Pakistan-Based Armed Group Issues Threat To David Warner, Steve Smith Over PSL Participationhttps://t.co/elawb1FqPI
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In a strong message, the group said players should “withdraw immediately” from the PSL, claiming their safety cannot be guaranteed. “We want to advise the relevant cricket boards not to send their players to Pakistan. If something happens to them, it will not be our responsibility. We have already issued our warning,” a commander of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar told The Sunday Guardian.
The threat became even more serious when the commander stated, “We will do whatever is in our power, but we will not let the matches happen. We will do our best to ensure that the tournament is disrupted and the players do not take to the field.” The group further said that it does not have any issue with cricket as a sport, but it does not think that the security situation in Pakistan is conducive enough to host an international tournament.
The Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision to make changes to the tournament came even before the threats issued by the group. The board announced that it will be hosting the PSL 2026 tournament in only two cities without any spectators. The decision to do this comes after advice from the government, mainly due to the conflict in the West Asian region and increasing fuel prices, according to PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi.
