Online Reporter
BLESSING MUZARABANI continues to be stuck in the middle of the war between the India Premier League and the Pakistan Super League.
It is a tussle that not only seems one-sided but one that appears to be more about geo-politics rather than the game of cricket itself.
Muzarabani is one of two players that have been banned from the PSL after he chose the Indian Premier League over the beleaguered T20 tournament.
The Zimbabwe seamer is currently set to serve a two- year ban after opted to join the Kolkata Knight Riders.
He was brought in as a last-minute replacement for Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman for the 2026 edition.
Dasun Shanaka of Sri Lanka has also been slapped with a one-year ban after he withdrew from PSL 2026 before the season opener to join Rajasthan Royals in IPL as Sam Curran’s replacement.
Pakistan Cricket Board chairperson Mohsin Naqvi has since threatened legal action against international players ditching PSL 2026 for IPL.
This year’s PSL currently behind closed doors due to the Iran, USA, Israel conflict and fuel crisis.
The crisis also caused a change in dates of the premier T20 tournament which is now-running concurrently with the India Premier League.
This has since caused a lot of debate surrounding the strength of tournament with many players, both former and current, weighing in.
Among these and probably most telling is veteran Pakistan batter Ahmed Shehzad, who strongly dismissed all comparisons between the PSL and the IPL.
Shehzad believes that the overseas players who come to the Pakistan Super League are mostly those who are retired or went unsold in the IPL auction.
His comments came after Pakistani journalists asked foreign players like Rilee Rossouw and Kusal Mendis to compare the two leagues.
Rossouw had said the IPL feels “more of a movie” while the PSL is “real cricket.”
Kusal Mendis stayed silent when asked if he regretted leaving the PSL for the IPL last year.
Shehzad criticised these questions and pointed out the big difference in quality between the two leagues.
He said the PSL has now become a league for retired players.
“The only players you have left in the PSL are those who retired from the IPL, went unsold in the IPL or have no IPL careers left in the IPL (David Warner, Steve Smith),” said Shehzad.
“Anyone at all who have a chance to play will only select the IPL
He also slammed the PCB for banning overseas players who break their PSL contracts to join the IPL.
Shehzad made it clear that top players will always prefer the more competitive IPL, and implored Pakistan to focus on improving the PSL instead of forcing comparisons or imposing bans. — Wires/Zimpapers Sports Hub
