The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is set to lose a major chunk of star power due to the clash with Afghanistan. Ahead of PSL 2026, Afghanistan’s famous cricketers opted out of the first player auction held ahead of the 11th edition.
Days before PSL 2026 and the players auction, it was speculated that Afghans might stay away from the tournament due to the rising diplomatic tensions between these two countries. But there is another reason due to which the players decided to avoid the auction.
Why are Afghanistan players avoiding PSL 2026?
According to media reports, players including Mujeeb ur Rehman, Seddiqullah Atal, Muhammad Nabi, Waqar Salamkhil and Fazal Haq Farooqui had registered for the auction held in Lahore on Wednesday. Later all of them withdrew their names from the program.
Along with political disputes, the signing of Rahmanullah Gurbaz is also considered to be a major reason behind the displeasure of Afghan cricketers.
Gurbaz has previously participated in three PSL seasons. He played for Multan Sultans in 2021 and then for Islamabad United in 2022 and 2023. In 15 matches, the top-order batsman scored 318 runs at a strike rate of 159.79, including one half-century.
Zalmi signed Gurbaz early
Afghanistan opening batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been signed by PSL franchise Peshawar Zalmi. The franchise secured the batsman’s signature in a straightforward manner, while other Afghanistan players, who were in the auction list, did not receive any response from the franchise. Later, as tensions increased, Gurbaz also took himself out of the franchise.
“Players including Mujeeb ur Rehman, Seddiqullah Atal, Muhammad Nabi, Waqar Salamkhil and Fazal Haq Farooqui had registered for the auction held in Lahore on Wednesday,” The Times of India reported. However, the players later withdrew their names after Peshawar Zalmi directly signed Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
Pakistan Super League CEO issued official confirmation on this matter
Confirming the update, PSL CEO Salman Naseer said that the political conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan may also have forced the cricketers to withdraw their names. He said that there were some Afghan cricketers in the auction pool, but currently they are out of the competition.
Salman Naseer explained about the situation, “There was a serious reaction after Zalmi signed Gurbaz and Gurbaz pulled himself out of the PSL due to the broken relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Therefore, other players also decided that it would be better to avoid the reaction.”
Relations between the two countries have been tense since late last year due to air strikes by the Pakistani Air Force. Many star cricketers of Afghanistan including Rashid Khan strongly protested against this incident. It was reported that several Afghan civilians, including local cricketers, lost their lives in the airstrike. After this incident, relations between the two countries started deteriorating rapidly.
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