Pakistan and Indian players to play together in BBL as PCB grants NOC
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The Cricket Australia chief has finally revealed that the Pakistan players part of different BBL teams have finally got their much-awaited clearance from the PCB, and the NOC would now lead them to participation in the overseas tournament without any hurdle.
Last month, in September, the PCB Chief Operating Officer, Sumair Ahmad Syed, sent a notice informing players and agents of the board's decision to prevent players from participating in the overseas T20 leagues.
PCB issues NOC to Pakistani players over BBL participation
Pakistan players have reportedly been given the approval to join the competition after concerns they would be caught up in PCB's refusal to provide them with a No Objection Certificate for the overseas tournaments.
Cricket Australia head Todd Greenberg announced the confirmation of Pakistan players arriving for the BBL as scheduled.
"That came through last week," Greenberg said. "So they'll all be playing; they've all been cleared to play, which we're really excited about because we've got some great Pakistani players in the BBL, so looking forward to seeing them here this summer."
Babar Azam (Sydney Sixers), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Brisbane Heat), Hasan Ali (Adelaide Strikers), Mohammad Rizwan (Melbourne Renegades), Haris Rauf (Melbourne Stars), and Shadab Khan (Sydney Thunder) are among the Pakistani players registered within the BBL.
Pakistan players will feature in the upcoming Big Bash season after concerns that they'd be caught up in PCB's refusal to issue No Objection Certificates for overseas tournaments
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Ravichandran Ashwin to share dressing room with Pakistan spinner
An eagerly anticipated head-to-head contest between Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi will be seen in the upcoming Big Bash League, while in another major turn of events, Ravichandran Ashwin will be pairing up with all-rounder Shadab Khan for the Sydney Thunder.
R Ashwin is all set to play the entire season for the Big Bash League for the Sydney Thunder, as he will be the first Indian player to play in the Australian global T20 league. The talk has prompted more Indian players to follow Ashwin's path of retiring to explore opportunities in overseas leagues.
Todd Greenberg is not concerned with senior cricketers; he focuses on the next generation
While Greenberg himself did not give much significance to the concerns about the current group of senior Australian players leaving, he said that it could be a major issue for the next generation in the making.
"I think it's a realistic concern for everybody that players have leverage and choice to ply their trade all over the place," he said. "But I'd say this, though: every player I talk to, priority A is to play for their country… so that's a really important marker," he added.
"But, and there's a big but here, the next generation is really what I'm focused on. It's not this current crop that I'm as concerned about as the next generation of players. We've got to make sure we find ways for them to stay in Australian cricket, still generate central contracts, and still want to play for their country in the same way generations have and this current generation does," he further added.
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Pakistan National Cricket Team PCB Babar Azam Mohammad Rizwan Shadab Khan Shaheen Afridi Haris Rauf Big Bash League Cricket Australia
