Bangladesh’s two-star cricketers, Nahid Rana and Rishad Hossain, had been staying in Pakistan to participate in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). However, due to security concerns following recent Indian attacks, the remaining matches of the PSL were initially planned to be relocated to the United Arab Emirates. But later in the night, it was officially announced that the rest of the tournament had been suspended indefinitely.
As of the night of May 9, Nahid Rana and Rishad Hossain are en route from Pakistan to Dubai on a special flight. From there, they will continue their journey to Dhaka. Shahriar Nafees, Head of Cricket Operations at the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), said, “By the grace of Allah, they are doing well. They are currently travelling from Pakistan to Dhaka via Dubai.”
All other foreign cricketers who were participating in the PSL are also being flown to Dubai today for safe return to their respective countries.
Earlier in the day, BCB President Faruque Ahmed said, “I’ve also messaged the PCB chairman. We’ve been in regular contact with them. You know everyone was gathered together at one point — not just our players, but many foreign players as well. There was a collective effort to find a solution. It was decided that today they would attempt to move everyone to a safer location. The board also coordinated with the Bangladesh High Commission.”
He added, “As you know, we also have two sports journalists there. We’ve spoken with both of them and passed on their names through the cricket board. We’ve ensured their names are included so that they can travel with the players. They are there on professional duty, and we at the board believe we have a responsibility toward them as well. We are making every effort to ensure they can also be safely evacuated alongside the players.”
