Bangladesh cricketers Rishad Hossain and Nahid Rana were set to leave Pakistan for the UAE on Friday night as the Pakistan Super League was shifted amidst the rising tension with neighbour India.
The Indian Premier League, meanwhile, was suspended for a week after a match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals was abruptly called off after 10.1 overs due to an apparent floodlight failure in the Himalayan hill town of Dharamsala on Thursday.
Young leg-spinner Rishad is playing for Lahore Qalanders while pace sensation Nahid is representing Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL.
Their respective sides were scheduled to meet on Friday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, which was targeted by an Indian drone on Thursday morning.
Pakistan鈥檚 foreign minister Ishaq Dar claimed that it was 鈥榓 deliberate attempt to target domestic and foreign cricket players鈥�.
The earlier fixture between Peshawar and Karachi Kings was postponed after the incident, and on early Friday morning, the PCB announced the relocation of the tournament.
The decision was taken after several meetings between the franchise and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the country鈥檚 interior minister. Naqvi said the decision was made for the sake of players鈥� safety.
鈥楾he PCB has always stood by the position that politics and sports need to be kept apart. However, in view of the extremely irresponsible and dangerous Indian act of targeting the stadium, the PCB has taken this decision,鈥� Naqvi was quoted as saying in the statement.
鈥榃e have shifted the remaining matches to the UAE so that the domestic as well as foreign cricketers, who are our precious guests, can be saved from the possible reckless targeting by India.鈥�
Thirty-seven foreign players鈥攊ncluding Rishad and Nahid鈥攁re involved in the PSL.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board earlier said that the safety and well-being of Rishad and Nahid were their top priority as they were eyeing an eventual secure return of the duo.
Bangladesh Cricket Board president Faruque Ahmed on Friday said that they were in constant communication with the involved parties.
鈥楴ot only our cricketers; there are many foreign cricketers,鈥� Faruque said in a video statement. 鈥楢 collective effort is being made to reach a solution. There was a meeting, and it was decided that all cricketers were to be shifted from there. Our board has communicated with the Bangladesh High Commission鈥�.
Faruque also mentioned that they asked for the swift return of two Bangladeshi journalists who went to cover the PSL.
The Bangladesh national team, however, are scheduled to tour Pakistan for a five-match T20 series starting on May 25.
The future of the tour is uncertain with the present circumstances. The board members of the BCB are supposed to meet today at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium to discuss the current issues.
However, a source said that it was not up to them to decide the fate of the tour.
鈥榃e cannot dictate the decision, as it鈥檚 not ours to make. We鈥檙e preparing our team fully; that鈥檚 all we could do at the moment,鈥� he said.
Meanwhile, the IPL, the richest cricket tournament in the world, was also disrupted.
Officials paused the tournament after a match on Thursday was abandoned in Dharamsala, less than 200 kilometres from the northern city of Jammu, where explosions were reported hours earlier.
On a third day of exchanges between the nuclear-armed neighbours on Friday, India said it repulsed a wave of Pakistani drone and artillery attacks overnight. Officials in Pakistan reported more civilian deaths.
The stadium was swiftly evacuated, and players were whisked out of the ground in the team bus, according to media reports. IPL chairman Arun Dhumal was seen signalling to fans to leave the stadium.
鈥楩urther updates regarding the new schedule and venues of the tournament will be announced in due course,鈥� Devajit Saikia, honorary secretary of the Indian cricket board, said in a statement.
鈥榃hile cricket remains a national passion, there is nothing greater than the nation and its sovereignty, integrity and security of our country,鈥� the statement added.
New Delhi launched missile strikes on Wednesday morning in retaliation for a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-run Kashmir two weeks ago that India blamed on Pakistan.
Islamabad has denied any involvement.
More than 50 people have been killed on both sides of the border since Wednesday, in the worst violence in decades between the South Asian neighbours.