Early Retirement or freelancing: Pakistan players explore alternatives due to NOC issue

Pakistan cricketers are reportedly exploring alternative options in their pursuit of playing in cash-rich T20 leagues as they face difficulty in obtaining the mandatory No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The PCB and the players have been at loggerheads over the NOC issue for quite some time now. While the players want to play in as many overseas leagues as possible, the PCB wants to put a cap on the number of leagues the players can play in.

According to a report in Cricket Pakistan, the players expressed their displeasure over the issue when the Pakistan team was in New Zealand for the five-match T20I series. The Men in Green ended up losing the series 4-1 with several reports suggesting that the players were distracted due to the NOC issue and it affected their performance.

Pakistan players explore alternatives:

With the PCB not willing to give the required NOC to play in franchise leagues, the Pakistan players are exploring other options. As per the report, the players confronted the PCB about the issue during the New Zealand tour. At that time, the PCB officials told them that the board was just following team director Mohammad Hafeez’s advice.

When the players approached Hafeez, he pinned the responsibility on the board. Miffed with the situation, the players have already initiated discussions about early retirement or contemplating a shift towards freelancing. The players could reject central contracts in the future in order to play in overseas leagues.

In recent times, several players have taken big calls regarding their international careers in order to play in T20 leagues. In 2022, New Zealand trio Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, and James Neesham turned down central contracts to play in T20 leagues.

The news outlet further stated that there is widespread discontent among players regarding the suspension of Haris Rauf’s central contract. Earlier this week, the PCB terminated Rauf’s central contract for making himself available during the Test tour of Australia. The players could also approach the new PCB Chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, to address their concerns.