Islamabad United and Multan Sultans have both suffered key player setbacks in the ongoing PSL 2025 season. Australian wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Short and West Indian spinner Gudakesh Motie have been ruled out of the tournament due to injury and personal reasons, respectively.
Short arrived in Pakistan still recovering from an injury sustained during the Champions Trophy. Despite collaborative rehabilitation efforts with Cricket Australia’s medical team, Short continued to experience discomfort during training. Ultimately, a mutual decision was made between Islamabad United and the medical staff to send him back home to Australia to focus on long-term recovery and fitness.
“While we saw promising signs of progress, it was ultimately agreed that prioritizing Matt’s long-term health was in everyone’s best interest,” said a team spokesperson. “Islamabad United remain fully committed to our players’ well-being and thank Matt for his professionalism and positivity throughout his time with the squad. We wish him a speedy and full recovery.”
As of now, Islamabad United has not named a replacement for Short.
On the other hand, Multan Sultans confirmed that spinner Gudakesh Motie has returned to Guyana to handle a personal matter. ESPNcricinfo reports that his father is ill, and the franchise is hopeful that Motie may return later in the season. The Sultans, who lost their first three matches of the tournament, have brought in Irish allrounder Curtis Campher as Motie’s replacement. With the PSL now shifting to Multan, Mohammad Rizwan’s team aims to bounce back with upcoming home fixtures against Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United.
Meanwhile, Islamabad United have had a flawless start to their campaign, winning all four of their opening matches and currently sitting comfortably at the top of the table.