Australian cricket stars narrowly escape missile strike in Pakistan as IPL and PSL suspended
Australian and international cricketers narrowly avoided a missile strike in Pakistan, fleeing on a charter flight to Dubai just hours before Indian forces targeted the same military base.
The majority of Australia’s cricketers involved in the Indian Premier League and Pakistan Super League will arrive back on home soil on Sunday following the postponement of both tournaments due to the escalating conflict between India and Pakistan.
The likes of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Travis Head, all signed to play in the IPL, have been able to organise flights back to Australia after air raid warnings near Dharamshala in the country’s north prompted the postponement of the world’s richest T20 tournament.
Australian players taking part in the PSL were also able to safely make it out of Pakistan on Friday evening (local time) after the tournament was officially postponed.
The Pakistan Cricket Board arranged a charter flight for Australian and international players that departed Islamabad on Friday night bound for Dubai. Connecting flights from Dubai to players’ home countries were being organised on Saturday.
However, this masthead can reveal that the likes of Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Ashton Turner and Mitch Owen were almost caught up in a potentially devastating incident.
Australian and international cricketers on board a charter flight from Pakistan to Dubai following the postponement of the Pakistan Super League.
On Saturday morning local time, just hours after the overseas players left on their charter flight, India launched missile strikes targeting three Pakistani airbases, including the facility at Nur Khan – the airbase from which players, officials and broadcasters had flown out for the UAE around three hours earlier.
The strike on Nur Khan, located near Pakistan’s military headquarters and about 10 kilometres from Islamabad, caused multiple explosions and fires, according to local media reports. Witnesses described smoke and flames, with panic spreading in surrounding areas.
