The Bangladesh Cricket Board said that they were working to ensure the safe return of two players, Rishad Hossain and Nahid Rana, from Pakistan after a scheduled Pakistan Super League match in Rawalpindi on Thursday was postponed after the Pindi Stadium had been affected by the Indian drone attack.
Earlier, on Wednesday, the BCB said that they were monitoring the situation in Pakistan as the Indian Army said that they attacked nine sites in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir in the aftermath of a deadly attack on the Indian side of the contested region.
Rishad is playing for Lahore Qalanders in the PSL, while Nahid is participating for Peshawar Zalmi. Peshawar, in fact, were supposed to take on Karachi Kings in Rawalpindi on Thursday, which was eventually called off.
Both Rishad鈥檚 and Rana鈥檚 teams were camped in Islamabad. They were scheduled to meet today. Rishad even posted a photo of him with Nahid on his Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon where they were seen in a gym together.
But in the evening, the PCB said in a statement that the match between Peshawar and Karachi was 鈥榬escheduled鈥� without citing any specific reason.
The BCB, however, issued a press release on Thursday regarding the update on Rishad and Nahid.
鈥楾he Board is working closely with both the PCB and the Bangladesh High Commission to make certain that the cricketers feel safe and secure during their stay in Pakistan,鈥� the press release read.
鈥楩urthermore, the BCB is coordinating with the relevant authorities to ensure that all arrangements are in place to facilitate the eventual departure of the players from Pakistan in a timely and secure manner,鈥� it added.
鈥楾he BCB is also maintaining continuous contact with the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad. As stated earlier, the BCB attaches the highest priority to the safety and security of its players,鈥� it also added.
It was reported that the foreign players in the league were willing to leave Pakistan as soon as possible and met with the chairman of the PCB.
The PCB, however, has yet to make a statement regarding the matter.
It was also reported that the clashes between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan sent airlines scrambling to cancel, divert or reroute their flights. As a result, Rishad, Nahid, and other foreign players鈥� departure from Pakistan remained uncertain.
The Bangladesh national cricket team is also scheduled to tour Pakistan for a five-match T20 series starting on May 21.
The Tigers have started their preparation camp at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur ahead of the series against UAE and Pakistan. However, the national team had a rest day on Thursday.