What should’ve been another exciting season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) turned into something players will never forget — for all the wrong reasons
Bangladesh cricketer Rishad Hossain has spoken about a scary experience that forced several overseas players to leave Pakistan in a hurry.
Their exit wasn’t just rushed — it was full of panic, fear and real danger. It all started when missile threats began to spread around Rawalpindi, one of the PSL venues.
Rishad and his teammate Nahid Rana were trying to stay calm but everyone around them was clearly shaken.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) arranged an emergency flight to Dubai for the foreign players.
Just 20 minutes into the flight they heard there was a missile strike. That hit them hard. The mood inside the flight was already tense — this made it worse.
Rishad said players like Sam Billings, Daryl Mitchell, Kusal Perera, David Wiese, and Tom Curran were badly affected.
According to him, New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell said after landing that he will never come back to Pakistan in such a situation again.
But the most heart breaking moment was from Tom Curran. Rishad said Curran went to the airport and found out it was closed. That was it for him.
“He cried like a child. Two or three people had to hold him,” Rishad said.
It wasn’t just the players who were anxious — their families were worried sick. Rishad said his family back in Bangladesh was on edge because of bombings and missile alerts.
He tried to calm them down but only after he reached Dubai did they feel better. “Alhamdulillah we have reached Dubai after the crisis. I am feeling good now,” he added.
This is more than just a one time scare.It raises serious questions about can Pakistan host international players when things can get dangerous so fast.
The PCB did act quickly to get the players out but the emotional impact will last longer than they think.
When Mitchell and Curran say they were scared and won’t come back it sends a message — and not a good one.
The players are safe but the damage is done.These moments break the trust that takes years to build.
For Pakistan cricket this was a big step back — and rebuilding will not.
