Massive fight between PCB and Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan on cards due to this reason

Things are not at all going in the right direction for the Pakistan National Cricket Team. As per the reports in ESPNCricinfo, it is learned that some of the big players of the team are set to have a collision course with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

This comes after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) didn’t give NOC to premier fast bowler Naseem Shah to play in the Hundred. He was set to earn £125,000 and this comes as a huge blow to the pacer, especially with big money on-line.

However, this isn’t limited to here only as it is learned that the governing body is all set to reject NOCs to several all-format players for upcoming franchise tournaments. They don’t want their players to get injured in the leagues, which might hamper Pakistan’s combination.

For the Global T20 League in Canada, PCB is likely to restrict the players from playing in the league due to workload reasons. The likes of Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, and Babar Azam, who are part of the leagues are unlikely to play.

Although the major tournaments are unlikely to clash with the international cricket of Pakistan, the PCB wants their all-format players to stay completely fit and rest well ahead of the team’s two-match Test series against Bangladesh, which starts on August 21.

Pakistan have a hectic next few months. They will be playing three Tests against England at home in October. After that, they will be touring Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa and then will be hosting West Indies and a home tri-series featuring South Africa and New Zealand. After that Champions Trophy, and the PSL will be there.

Apart from the all-format players, few of the players are likely to get NOCs to play in the league. However, a few of the players in Usama Mir, who had his NOC denied last month for the T20 Blast, along with Haris Rauf will be allowed to play The Hundred since they are not all-format players.

With the Pakistan Cricket Board not giving NOCs to some of the big names, this potentially is likely to see differences between the players and the board. This strictness by the PCB comes after the team’s debacle in the T20 World Cup 2024.

PCB can reject NOCs of players as per their policy

According to the three-year central contracts the PCB and the players signed last year, cricketers can be allowed to play two overseas leagues per year. But if they clash with the international assignment, the governing body can reject the NOCs.

PCB also has the right to refuse NOCs if they feel it is in the best interests of Pakistan's international obligations. But pulling out players from the leagues if there are no international assignments is likely to cause some discomfort among the players as they might feel that the board is respecting the spirit of the contract.