A report claims that Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan would be absent from the Global T20 League Canada 2024, which starts on July 25. The main reason for their absence is workload management.
It is anticipated that several important players for an impending franchise tournament will adopt the same attitude, following the news that the Pakistan Cricket Board had refused teenage bowler Naseem Shah a no-objection certificate to participate in the fourth season of The Hundred just one day earlier.
Prioritising the rest of its best players is something the PCB is doing in front of a taxing national schedule that begins on August 21 with a two-match Test series against Bangladesh.
The PCB’s current stance on NOCs is expected to mostly affect players who regularly appear in all formats, but it does not entail a blanket denial for all requests.
This policy is anticipated to last beyond the upcoming seasons because Pakistan’s cricket schedule is crowded from October 2024 to May 2025. According to a report from ESPNcricinfo, the PCB will not consider NOC petitions from players competing in all formats during this time, which coincides with various T20 tournaments.
As long as there are no competing international duties, players are permitted to participate in up to two foreign franchise leagues per year under the provisions of the central contracts signed last year.
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In October, Pakistan will host England for a three-match Test series after their two-match Test series against Bangladesh. They will tour Australia for three T20Is and as many ODIs shortly after. The West Indies will visit Pakistan for a couple of Test matches, and then there will be a multi-format series against the Proteas. Pakistan will then host a Tri-Nation Series before getting ready for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
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