Rishad ‘regrets misunderstanding’ caused by his comments on PSL teammates

Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain expressed regret on social media over a 'misunderstanding' caused by some of the comments he made to the Bangladeshi media about the reaction of some overseas cricketers who were stuck in Pakistan alongside him during the India-Pakistan conflict.

Rishad was in Pakistan, taking part in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for the Lahore Qalanders, which got suspended on May 9 indefinitely as the tensions between India and Pakistan continued to escalate.

Rishad and Nahid Rana, the two Bangladeshi cricketers taking part in this year's PSL, alongside other overseas cricketers, were later flown to the UAE for safety.

While in transit in Dubai before returning to Dhaka, Rishad had a brief interaction with some Bangladeshi journalists, where he said England's Tom Curran was in tears and New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell had vowed never to return to Pakistan if the situation does not improve.

His quotes started making rounds in multiple Indian news outlets, and in some cases, his quote was taken out of context.

Rishad, on his official Facebook account, issued a clarification yesterday.

"I'm aware that a recent comment I made has caused confusion and has unfortunately been misrepresented in the media creating a false perception," Rishad wrote.

"The comment was made during a brief interview with Bangladeshi journalists while I was in transit at Dubai airport. It lacked full context and unintentionally overstated the emotions involved.

"I sincerely regret any misunderstanding it may have caused. I've offered an unconditional apology to Daryl Mitchell and Tom Curran. I hold deep respect for my fellow teammates and truly value the Qalanders brotherhood – where we always stand by one another, no matter what.

"I look forward to rejoining my team when the Pakistan Super League resumes."

Although an official resumption date has not been announced yet, PSL is likely to resume soon as the Indian-Pakistan conflict has seemingly de-escalated for now.