HBL PSL X to resume on May 17, confirms PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi
The HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) will resume on May 17 with its final set for May 25, following a week-long suspension due to cross-border tensions with India, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced Tuesday.
The decision to restart comes days after a ceasefire agreement between the two countries helped calm the situation, which had escalated when an Indian drone crashed near Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, prompting the tournament’s postponement in support of Pakistan's armed forces.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Naqvi confirmed the league would pick up from where it left off. “Let the aura take over as we unite and celebrate the spirit of cricket,” he wrote.
HBL PSL X picks up from where it left off! 6 teams, 0 fear
Let the aura take over as we unite and celebrate the spirit of cricket.
Get ready for 8 thrilling matches starting 17th May, leading up to the Grand Final on 25th May.
Best of luck to all the teams!#HBLPSLX #ApnaXHaiSources reveal that all six franchises have since begun reaching out to overseas players, who were evacuated via chartered flights last weekend, to return to Pakistan under the revised schedule.
Rawalpindi is expected to host all eight remaining matches, including the final.
“As soon as the franchises confirm the availability of the foreign players, the PCB will announce the full schedule after approval from Chairman Naqvi,” the source said.
With no international cricket scheduled during the PSL window, PCB officials are optimistic that most foreign players will return.
However, some hesitation remains from Australian cricketers, particularly in light of similar withdrawals from the now-suspended Indian Premier League (IPL).
Interestingly, former Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting, head coach of IPL franchise Punjab Kings, reportedly cancelled his flight home following news of the ceasefire — a move seen by insiders as a gesture of confidence in the region’s stabilising situation.
The PSL’s return is seen as a symbolic boost not just for cricket, but for a region desperate for signs of normalcy.