South Africa all-rounder Corbin Bosch has opened up on the decision to withdraw from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in favour of a move in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Peshawar Zalmi had signed Bosch in the Diamond category for the upcoming PSL 10, but he opted out of the tournament and joined IPL franchise Mumbai Indians instead as a replacement for injured compatriot Lizaad Williams. Following his decision to opt out of the PSL, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that it would send a legal notice to Bosch for violating his contract.
According to a report in Cricket Pakistan, Bosch has now explained the reason behind his decision to withdraw from the PSL.
“Bosch provided his explanation to Pakistani officials, stating that his decision was not meant to disrespect PSL. He said he had to prioritize his future, as Mumbai Indians are not only a strong IPL team but also have franchises in multiple other leagues, which could benefit his career significantly,” the report stated.
The report added that the PCB will now evaluate Bosch’s explaination before taking a call against his actions.
“The PCB will now evaluate Bosch’s explanation to determine the extent of his contract violation and what action should be taken against him. Some quarters argue that the league’s credibility is paramount and that Bosch should be banned from future PSL editions as a deterrent for others,” the report added.
There have been calls to ban Bosch from the PSL, but many fear that this might send a negative message to other players.
The legal notice was served to Bosch through his agent, and the player has been asked to justify his actions of withdrawing from his professional and contractual commitments.
The PCB management has also outlined the repercussions of his departure from the league and expects his response within the stipulated time frame.
This is the first time since the PSL was launched in 2016 that its window will clash for quite a few matches with the IPL.
The PCB had to move its PSL window from its regular February-March to April-May because of the Champions Trophy and other international commitments in Pakistan.
Number of overseas players who were not picked in the IPL auction later signed on for the PSL, including Bosch.
The 30-year-old was part of Rajasthan Royals in 2022, but didn’t play a single game, coming in as a replacement for Australia’s Nathan Coulter-Nile.
He is familiar with the MI franchise, considering he played for their title-winning SA20 side, MI Cape Town, in February earlier this year.
(With PTI Inputs)
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