Four Australian cricketers narrowly escaped a potential missile strike in Pakistan. Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Ashton Turner, and Mitch Owen were evacuated on a charter flight to Dubai mere hours before Indian forces reportedly targeted the same military base, reported The Sydney Morning Herald.
A significant number of Australian cricketers who had been participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL) are expected to arrive back in Australia by Sunday. Both tournaments were postponed due to the escalating conflict between India and Pakistan.
Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Travis Head, all contracted for the IPL, successfully arranged flights back to Australia with help from the BCCI after air-raid warnings near Dharamshala in northern India prompted the suspension of the lucrative T20 league.
Australian players involved in the PSL also safely departed Pakistan on Friday evening (local time) after the tournament was officially postponed. The Pakistan Cricket Board organised a charter flight for Australian and international players, which departed Islamabad on Friday night en route to Dubai. Connecting flights from Dubai to the players’ respective home countries were being organised on Saturday.
However, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Ashton Turner, and Mitch Owen had a particularly close call.
On Saturday morning local time, just hours after the overseas players departed on their charter flight, India reportedly launched missile strikes targeting three Pakistani airbases, including the Nur Khan airbase – the very facility from which the players, officials, and broadcasters had flown out to the UAE approximately three hours prior, the report added.
Local media reports indicate that the strike on Nur Khan, situated near Pakistan’s military headquarters and about 10 kilometres from Islamabad, resulted in multiple explosions and fires. Witnesses described smoke and flames, causing widespread panic in the surrounding areas.
While David Warner had already returned to Australia and was not on the flight, several Australian players were understandably shaken by the near miss.
“Sean and Ben are relieved to be in Dubai now,” Peter Lovitt, the manager of Abbott and Dwarshuis, was quoted as saying in the report. “They are resting at a hotel as they prepare to fly back to Sydney.
“It has obviously been a challenging last 24 hours or so for all the players both physically and mentally. The next steps are to get them home safely as soon as possible. The organisers of the PSL have done their best to get the players out of Pakistan quickly in trying circumstances in a situation that is much bigger than the game of cricket itself.”
Players leave their luggage and kit behind
The report added that it has access to a photo which shows players, officials, and broadcasters on the flight to Dubai, with New Zealand star Kane Williamson visible in the image.
While the specific England players on board remain unclear, James Vince, Tom Curran, Sam Billings, and Chris Jordan were all participants in the PSL.
Adding to the logistical challenges, the players’ luggage remains in Pakistan, and efforts are underway to have it returned.
No definitive timeline has been established for the resumption of either tournament. However, the England and Wales Cricket Board is reportedly considering the possibility of hosting the remainder of the IPL in the UK.