April 24, 2025 | New Delhi/Islamabad — The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 broadcast and production operations are facing an unexpected crisis after rising tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 26 Indian civilians in Jammu and Kashmir.
A senior source within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that all Indian nationals working as part of PSL’s experienced broadcast crew are being asked to exit the country within 48 hours, following an official directive issued by Pakistan’s National Security Council (NSC).
“The PSL’s coverage has relied heavily on a technically sound and experienced Indian crew — including engineers, cameramen, production managers, and player-tracking experts,” the PCB source told media. “With growing cross-border tensions, efforts are being made to replace them urgently to ensure PSL’s smooth continuation.”
PSL Broadcast Faces Technical Disruption
With a significant part of the PSL production and broadcast team made up of Indian professionals, their abrupt withdrawal is expected to cause serious disruption to live match coverage, camera operations, slow-motion replays, and overall production quality.
The affected crew has also reportedly been told to limit their movement within Pakistan for safety reasons until arrangements are made for their departure.
Fancode Drops PSL Streaming in India
Adding fuel to the fire, Fancode, the official streaming partner for PSL matches in India, removed all PSL content from its platform just days after the Pahalgam attack. Users who tried accessing the PSL page on Fancode were met with error messages, and by Friday morning, the entire league content had vanished from the app and website.
Fancode had streamed the first 13 matches of PSL 2025, featuring Pakistan’s top cricketing stars. However, the platform came under social media scrutiny and backlash from users questioning why an Indian company was broadcasting the Pakistani league amid heightened hostilities.
“Given the ongoing national sentiment and the tragic loss of innocent lives in Pahalgam, we have taken immediate steps in compliance with emerging directives,” a person close to Fancode operations revealed on condition of anonymity.
India Takes Strong Diplomatic Measures
Following the terror attack, India has taken several tough measures to isolate Pakistan diplomatically and economically:
- Suspended all visa services for Pakistani nationals, including medical visas.
- Revoked previously issued visas, with immediate effect.
- Urged Indian nationals in Pakistan to return home as soon as possible.
- Heightened surveillance and counter-terror measures across key Indian cities.
These steps mark a major shift in India’s posturing and are expected to impact cultural and sports exchanges significantly — with cricket once again becoming a diplomatic casualty.
A League in Limbo?
The PSL’s reliance on international technical expertise, especially from India, now leaves the tournament vulnerable to inconsistencies and possible blackout scenarios if replacement crews aren’t mobilized swiftly.
As of now, the PCB has not issued an official statement addressing the operational disruption. But behind the scenes, urgent discussions are reportedly ongoing with alternate production partners from UAE and South Africa.
Cricket fans across both nations are watching closely as the fallout from the Pahalgam tragedy reverberates far beyond politics — hitting sports, entertainment, and human ties.
