Babar, Rizwan, And Shaheen Set To Miss Global T20 Canada Over NOC Hurdles

Pakistan's cricket stars Babar Azam, Mohammed Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi are unlikely to receive a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the upcoming Global T20 Canada. The tournament is set to begin next week.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has a policy of not granting NOCs to their all-format players. This decision stands despite the league's schedule not clashing with Pakistan's international fixtures, as reported by Geo News.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi recently stated that players would get NOCs based on specific criteria. "The players will be promoted on the basis of their fitness and performance. There's no place for players who do not fit the criteria. There'll also be no compromise on discipline," said Naqvi.

Earlier this month, PCB granted NOCs to 12 players for various leagues worldwide, including the Lanka Premier League (LPL), The Hundred, Major League Cricket, County Cricket, and the World Championships of Legends.

Pakistan is scheduled to play a two-match Test series against Bangladesh starting August 21. The Global T20 Canada will run from July 25 to August 11. Despite no scheduling conflicts, PCB is still unlikely to grant an NOC to the senior trio.

Naseem Shah was also denied an NOC for The Hundred last week. Naseem had injury issues from September 2023 to February 2024 and returned only during the Pakistan Super League earlier this year.

Managing Player Workload

The PCB aims to manage player workload and avoid injuries during a busy international schedule. This approach may lead to denying NOCs to key all-format players like Babar Azam, Mohammed Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi.

Apart from these three stars, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Asif Ali, and Iftikhar Ahmed have contracts for Global T20 Canada. It remains uncertain if they will receive NOCs since they are less likely to feature in all three formats.

Players Granted NOC by PCB

• Abrar Ahmed - Major League Cricket - 4 to 28 July
• Fakhar Zaman - Caribbean Premier League - 29 August to 6 October
• Haris Rauf - Major League Cricket - 5 to 28 July
• Mohammad Amir - County Cricket - 4 to 20 July
• Mohammad Haris - Lanka Premier League - 1 to 21 July
• Mohammad Hasnain - Lanka Premier League - 1 to 21 July
• Salman Ali Agha - Lanka Premier League - 1 to 21 July
• Shadab Khan - Lanka Premier League - 1 to 21 July
• Sharjeel Khan - World Championship of Legends - 3 to 13 July
• Sohaib Maqsood - World Championship of Legends - 3 to 13 July
• Usama Mir - The Hundred - 23 July to 20 August
• Zaman Khan - Major League Cricket - 4 to 28 July

The PCB had mentioned that players seeking clearance for Global T20 Canada would be considered only after the league receives ICC approval.

This cautious approach by PCB aims at ensuring player fitness and availability for crucial international matches while balancing participation in global leagues.