The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has declined the request for No Objection Certificate from Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi to participate in the Global T20 League. The PCB has received NOC requests from these players along with NOC of other players for the global T20 event. “After taking into consideration Pakistan’s busy and packed cricket calendar in the period from August 2024 to March 2025, which includes nine ICC World Test Championship matches and next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and following consultations with the three players as well as the national selection committee, it has been decided to decline their requests,” the board said.
PCB said that the decision to decline the requests from the three players was taken to manage the work load for them, since they are expected to play a lot of cricket in the upcoming months.
“The three are all-format cricketers and their services are expected to be required in the upcoming eight months during which Pakistan will play nine Tests, 14 ODIs, and nine T20Is,” the statement said.
“As such, and in line with the PCB’s workload management policy, it is in the best interest of Pakistan cricket and the players that they skip the upcoming event in Canada so that they are in their best mental and physical shape for the season, which commences with the two-Test series against Bangladesh.” The board also declined permission to Naseem Shah for the same reasons.
