The Pakistan Cricket Board has refused to allow senior players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi to join the Global T20 League. They say this is because the international cricket schedule is already very busy. The board explained that they received requests from these players and others to play in the Global T20 event. However, considering the packed schedule from August 2024 to March 2025, which includes nine important Test matches and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025, they decided not to let them participate. They made this decision after talking with the players and the national selection committee.
The Canadian league is set to take place from July 25 to August 11.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that this decision was made to handle the heavy workload of the three players, who are anticipated to be very busy with cricket in the next few months.
“These three players are skilled in all formats of the game and are likely to be needed in the next eight months. During this time, Pakistan is scheduled to play nine Test matches, 14 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and nine Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is),” the statement explained.
Therefore, following the PCB’s policy on managing player workloads, it is best for the players and for Pakistan cricket that they do not participate in the upcoming event in Canada. This will help them be in top physical and mental condition for the season, which starts with a two-Test series against Bangladesh. The board had also refused to allow Naseem Shah to play in The Hundred for similar reasons.
However, the PCB has granted NOCs (No-Objection Certificates) to Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Nawaz.
