Following Naseem Shah, PCB set to withhold NOCs for Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan

Babar, Shaheen, Rizwan (Source : Twitter )

Just a day after news surfaced that the Pakistan Cricket Board had denied young pacer, Naseem Shah, a no-objection certificate to participate in the fourth season of The Hundred, it is expected that the same stance will be taken with several key players for an upcoming franchise event. According to a report,  Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan are slated to be unavailable for the Global T20 League Canada 2024, commencing on July 25, citing workload management as the primary rationale.

The PCB seeks to prioritize the rejuvenation of its top players in anticipation of a demanding national calendar, which kicks off with a two-match Test series against Bangladesh starting on August 21.

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The PCB’s current position on NOCs does not imply a universal denial for all requests but is anticipated to primarily impact players who consistently feature across all formats.

This policy is expected to extend beyond the imminent leagues due to Pakistan’s densely packed cricket schedule from October 2024 to May 2025. As a result, the PCB will not entertain NOC requests from players participating in all formats during this period, coinciding with multiple T20 leagues, as per a report from ESPNcricinfo.

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Under the terms of the central contracts inked last year, players may partake in up to two overseas franchise leagues annually, provided there are no conflicting international obligations.

Following Pakistan’s two-match Test series against Bangladesh, they will host England for a three-match series in October. Soon after, they are scheduled to tour Australia for three T20Is and as many ODIs. This will be followed by a multi-format series against the Proteas, after which the West Indies will visit Pakistan for a couple of Tests. Subsequently, Pakistan will host a Tri-Nation Series before gearing up for the Champions Trophy 2025.