PCB to enforce stricter limits on player participation in overseas leagues after Pakistan's early T20 World Cup exit
NEW DELHI: Following the national team's disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup, it is understood that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will reinforce stricter policy limiting player participation in overseas T20 leagues.
According to a report from PTI, this decision comes as the board seeks to prioritize national team performance and player workload management.
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The PCB's existing policy mandates that centrally and domestically contracted players can receive No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for a maximum of two foreign leagues per year, in addition to their participation in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). This policy, previously not strictly enforced, is now being implemented rigorously.
The PCB's renewed emphasis on this policy is evident in its recent decisions. Young players Azam Khan and Saim Ayub, both part of the World Cup squad, were denied NOCs to participate in the Caribbean Premier League despite being retained by their respective franchises, highlighting the board's prioritization of national duty and potential player fatigue.
Furthermore, the PCB asserted its authority by denying veteran leg-spinner Usama Mir permission to play in England's Vitality Blast and The Hundred.
"Mir took the argument that since he was free of any international commitments and there was no domestic event he should be allowed to play in England, he was told in clear terms this is not for him but for the board to decide," a source told PTI.
The PCB has also communicated its stance to other cricket boards and franchises organizing T20 leagues. By emphasizing that player contracts signed without a PCB-issued NOC are at the franchise's own risk, the board intends to assert its control over Pakistani players' participation in foreign leagues.
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