Pakistan Cricket Board suspends player NOCs for overseas T20 leagues

Published - 30 Sept 2025, 15:00 IST | Updated - 30 Sept 2025, 15:00 IST

The Pakistan Cricket Board has suspended all No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for Pakistan players wanting to participate in T20 franchise leagues outside the country. The board has not revealed the exact reason behind this move. The PCB's CEO Sumair Ahmad Syed put out a prior notice which informed players and agents alike.

As per an ESPNcricinfo report, the PCB aims to bind NOCs to a performance-based system, with national and domestic performances set to be given more importance. There is no information provided on the timeframe of such an evaluation where there are more incentives provided to national and domestic performances. The details regarding NOCs and any possible exemptions to the same are not known yet.

"With the approval of Chairman PCB, all No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for players with respect to participation in leagues and other out of country tournaments are hereby put on hold until further orders," read the notice, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Seven Pakistani players, including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi, are due to play the 2025-26 Big Bash League. As far as the ILT20 auction is concerned, there are 18 Pakistan players, inclduing the likes of Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman and Naseem Shah.

Pakistan are coming on the back of a loss in the final of Asia Cup 2025. They lost the summit clash to India by five wickets in Dubai on Sunday, September 28. Notably, all three of their defeats in the recently-concluded installment of the continental tournament came against arch-rivals India.

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The Green Shirts will now host South Africa in a multi-format series comprising two Tests, three T20Is and three ODIs. The Test squad was recently announced by the PCB. Pakistan are also set to host Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in a T20I series later in the year.