Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain has narrated the suffering faced by overseas cricketers in the aftermath of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 being suspended amidst escalating India-Pakistan border tensions.

Speaking from Dubai on Saturday (May 10), Rishad confirmed that all foreign players, including himself, have been safely evacuated to the UAE.

Rishad, who was associated with the Lahore Qalandars squad, opened up on the fear among overseas players.

"Foreign players like Sam Billings, Daryl Mitchell, Kushal Perera, David Wiese, Tom Curran… all of them were so frightened," Rishad told Cricbuzz.

Having experienced the scary situation in Pakistan, New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell made a strong declaration: "Landing in Dubai, Mitchell told me that he would never go to Pakistan again, especially in this kind of scenario," Rishad said.

England's Tom Curran was affected emotionally as he broke down at the airport upon learning that it had been shut.

"He started crying like a little child. It took two or three people to handle him," Rishad stated.

The overseas players participating in the PSL 2025 were airlifted to Dubai, from where they would take connecting flights home.

"We have reached Dubai after overcoming a crisis, and I am feeling well now," Rishad remarked. "We later heard a missile struck the airport just 20 minutes after our departure. That was both scary and heartbreaking."

On Friday (May 9), PCB confirmed the postponement of PSL just hours after saying that the rest of the tournament would be taking place in the UAE. The board cited worsening situation between India and Pakistan as the reason behind the postponement.

"The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announces the postponement of the remaining eight matches of the HBL PSL X. The last 24 hours have seen a worsening of the situation on the LOC, increased incursion of 78 drones, and the firing of surface-to-surface missiles from India," the official statement stated.

"The decision to postpone has been taken pursuant to advice received from the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif," it added.

PCB also admitted that the players were hesitant to participate in the remainder of the tournament, considering the situation in Pakistan.

"We, at the PCB, also have sincere regard for the mental well-being of participating players and the sentiments of our foreign players, and we respect the concerns of their families who want to see them back home," the statement concluded.