Javed Afridi, the owner of Peshawar Zalmi, will reportedly miss the draft of Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 8 which will take place tonight in Karachi.
He is likely to skip the PSL Governing Council meeting as well.
His absence is seen as a form of silent protest against the remarks of Pakistan Cricket Board’s chairman Ramiz Raja.
During an interview, Ramiz and PCB’s CEO Faisal Hasnain alluded to the fact that international cricket will likely not return to Peshawar for a while as foreign teams and players are prohibited from travelling to the city.
The 37-year-old took exception to their remarks, as he feels that they undermine the efforts of Peshawar’s residents in reviving cricket in Pakistan.
Peshawar’s Arbab Niaz Stadium is also currently going under remodelling which will help its cause in hosting international matches.
Hayatabad Cricket Stadium which is also under construction was recently handed to PCB.
According to internet sources, officials from the board tried to convince Afridi to change his stance but he remains firm on his decision.
With Javed Afridi ruled out of the PSL draft, team Director Mohammad Akram will likely lead the team’s attendees while head coach Daren Sammy and captain Babar Azam will have a more prominent role in deciding the final squad.
PSL 8’s matches will take place in Karachi, Multan, Rawalpindi and Lahore beginning on February 9th.
