PCB issues NOC to four players coming back from injury. A lot of cricketing action is set to take place over the next couple of months. While there are some interesting international series coming up, several franchise leagues will also be running side-by-side.
The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and International League T20 (ILT20) start on Friday, January 19. Some of the finest players in world cricket will take part in these leagues. There had been some mystery surrounding the issuing of NOCs by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to its players so that they can take part in the cash-rich leagues.
The pace troika of Naseem Shah, Ihsanullah, Mohammad Hasnain, and veteran all-rounder Shadab Khan recently recovered from injuries and requested NOCs to participate in the BPL. Pakistan’s team director Mohammad Hafeez had requested the PCB to ensure that the aforementioned players participate in at least one match in the ongoing President Trophy in Karachi. Subsequently, the cricket governing board asked the players to play in the first-class competition.
However, when PCB announced issuing NOCs to the players, Naseem, Ihsanullah, Hasnain, and Shadab weren’t mentioned among the ones approved for the BPL.
Naseem suffered a shoulder injury during the Asia Cup last year and subsequently underwent surgery in London. He missed the ODI World Cup, the three-match Test tour of Australia and the ongoing T20I series in New Zealand.
Meanwhile, Hasnain and Ihsanullah represented Pakistan in January and April 2023 respectively before sustaining injuries. Shadab played in the World Cup but missed the tours to Australia and New Zealand after injuring his ankle during the National T20 Championship late last year.
Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf get NOCs
PCB issued NOCs to experienced players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, and Haris Rauf to play in the ILT20 and BPL. These players are currently representing the ‘Men in Green’ in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand.
The Kiwis have already bagged the series 3-0 with two games to spare. The two teams are currently in Christchurch, which is the venue for the final two T20Is.