 "Australian pacer Sean Abbott did not return to Pakistan for the remaining matches of the Pakistan Super League, where he was playing for the Quetta Gladiators, after India and Pakistan agreed to end hostilities last month. Reuters")
Australian pacer Sean Abbott opened up on his harrowing escape from Pakistan last month after the 10th season of the Pakistan Super League was suspended due to an armed conflict against India. Abbott did not fly back to the country for the remaining matches of the season after the week-long suspension, but insists he would “love to go back to Pakistan”.
Abbott, who represented Quetta Gladiators this PSL season, was among the overseas players and members of the broadcast crew who boarded a chartered flight out of PAF Base Nur Khan in Rawalpindi hours before it was struck by the Indian armed forces .
“Shocking. I found it quite traumatic to be honest. It was different for everyone. I don’t think it really sunk in for a few guys. Once our phones started pinging when we landed in Dubai as to what was happening since we left, it was pretty full on,” Abbott was quoted by news.com.au as saying ahead of a training session in Barbados, where Australia face West Indies in the first of three Tests starting Wednesday.
“But the PSL itself was a great experience. The locals, I got to experience the Pakistan culture which was quite cool. I haven’t really had the chance to do that before. And a lovely bunch of lads, and a pretty good tournament. But not the way I wanted to finish,” added the 33-year-old pacer.
‘Hopefully that sort of thing doesn’t happen again’
Abbott was not among the handful of overseas cricketers, including compatriot and Karachi Kings captain David Warner, returning to Pakistan after New Delhi and Islamabad agreed to a ceasefire following the United States’ intervention. The seamer, however, hoped to return to Pakistan someday, though wishing he would not have to encounter such a situation again.
“I’d love to go back to Pakistan. Hopefully that sort of thing doesn’t happen again. It’s probably not something I want to experience again in terms of what was going when I left. But it was a fun tournament.
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More Shorts“Obviously with all the security reasons, all the teams were based at the same hotel, so lots of friends as part of the overseas contingent so it was good fun,” he added.
The four-day military standoff between India and Pakistan took place days after a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam which led to the deaths of 26 individuals, a majority of them tourists. India came up with a military response named ‘ Operation Sindoor ’ in which it targeted terror camps in Pakistan as well as Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
It was after Pakistan responded with shelling and drone attacks at civilian areas along border towns on the Indian side that New Delhi escalated their military response, targeting the country’s radar and air defence systems before destroying air bases belonging to the Pakistan Air Force.
The four-day conflict had also put the 18th season of the Indian Premier League, which was eventually won by Royal Challengers Bengaluru, on a four-day pause.