Pakistan cricketers fume over NOC restrictions, demand more freedom to play abroad
- Pakistani players are unhappy with the restrictive NOC policy.
- Players want flexibility with no national duty clashing.
- Mohammad Haris did not recieved NOC for BPL after playing 2 leagues.
According to sources, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been facing a flood of complaints from national team players due to the non-issuance of no-objection certificates (NOCs) for foreign leagues.
The players have expressed their displeasure with the PCB’s policy regarding NOCs for leagues, stating that it is too restrictive and hinders their ability to play in foreign leagues. They have also raised concerns about the criteria used to assess the issuance of NOCs, which they believe is inconsistent.
Some players have played in the third league within a year, and they argue that NOCs should also be given to other players.
Players have emphasized that if there is no national duty, then the PCB must issue NOCs. They are questioning the utility of having two NOCs when they are not allowed to play in a complete league. Despite no national duty, the PCB is not showing a willingness to issue the NOC, and players cannot even seek compensation for being excluded from central contracts in unfair situations.
Players have also raised questions about how workload is determined and how it can be estimated without any medical or biomechanical tests. In cases of injustice, players can also contemplate withdrawing from central contracts.
Sources have confessed to tension within the board’s policy, stating that if there is no permanent chairman, then the NOC policy is also not permanent. The policy for NOC will be re-evaluated if the new chairman takes charge.
It must be noted that wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris had to return from Dhaka without taking part in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as PCB declined to issue him NOC.
Haris, who was set to represent Chattogram Challengers in the Bangladesh Premier League’s tenth edition, was denied a NOC by the PCB due to his participation in two leagues since July 2023. He played in Canada’s Global T20 League in July and the Lanka Premier League in August 2023.
The PCB had earlier announced that NOCs would be granted to players featuring in forthcoming franchise-based leagues. According to the cricket board, the NOCs were issued in line with the provisions of the players’ central contracts.
The statement added that the decision was made in the best interests of all stakeholders while balancing the importance of game time with workload management.
Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Waseem Jr, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Qadir, and many other Pakistani stars are part of different BPL teams. Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan, Mohammad Amir (all Desert Vipers), and Imad Wasim (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders) will play ILT20.
Meanwhile, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris, and Iftikhar Ahmed didn’t get NOCs for BPL. Their NOCs are on hold as they have played two leagues since July 2023.
Players who have contracts in ILT20 are exempted from this requirement since they were signed by the franchises before the central contracts.
