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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has created fresh trouble for the Pakistani players ahead of the upcoming Abu Dhabi T10 League. The PCB has reportedly refused to issue No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to Pakistan players unless the tournament organisers pay $10,000 for every player.
PCB’s unexpected demand has put the participation of several Pakistan stars in serious doubt, with the Abu Dhabi T10 League scheduled to begin on November 7. Amid this, Afghanistan Premier League in trouble? ICC approval and ECB concerns put English players in doubt.
PCB demands $10,000 per Pakistani player for Abu Dhabi T10 NOC
A total of 16 Pakistani players were picked by five of the six franchises during the player draft held on September 30. The Abu Dhabi T10 organisers had reportedly applied for NOCs for Pakistani players soon after the draft.
After which the Pakistan Cricket Board communicated its demand of $10,000 per player only at the start of this week to the organisers. However, the PCB's late decision has left team owners struggling to find a solution. They now have to either pay the additional amount or search for replacement players just days before the competition begins.
Pakistan players ready to pay NOC fee from salaries
However, it is being said that some Pakistani players were even ready to pay the amount from their own salaries if their franchises refused to cover the additional cost. Amid this, IPL likely to continue Impact Player rule for 2027 after franchises raise concerns.
Discussions have taken place in an attempt to resolve the issue but teams have started looking at replacements. This is not the first time the PCB has demanded money for issuing NOCs.
Last month, the Pakistan board asked for $25,000 per player for participation in the Nepal Premier League. Although Hussain Talat and Jahandad Khan continued playing, most Pakistani players returned without featuring in the tournament.
PCB revises NOC rules for foreign leagues, red-ball specialists face strict restrictions
The Pakistan Cricket Board has followed an inconsistent NOC policy for overseas franchise leagues in recent years. The first issue emerged during the launch of the ILT20. The board's argument was that some leagues did not offer enough opportunities for players from their countries to play in the PSL in return.
And now, the PCB has changed its NOC policy under the new central contracts. Track C players, who are T20 specialists, can now play in multiple T20 and T10 leagues, provided they remain available for national duty.
Track AB players, who play red-ball and one-day cricket, can participate in one overseas league. Track BC players, who specialise in white-ball cricket, can play in two leagues annually. Track A red-ball specialists are not allowed to play in overseas T20 or T10 competitions.
Earlier, the PCB followed the PSL plus two policy, which allowed centrally contracted players to feature in only two overseas leagues apart from the PSL. However, the new categories remain unclear because the PCB has not announced its latest central contracts.
The 16 Pakistani players picked for Abu Dhabi T10 are:
- Arabian Aces: Salman Irshad
- Emirates Eagles: Akif Javed, Hasan Nawaz, Ali Raza
- Royal Desert Champions: Naseem Shah
- UAE Bulls: Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Khawaja Nafay, Khushdil Shah, Azam Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jr.
- United Tigers: Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Sufyan Moqeem, Abbas Afridi
