PCB issue NOCs to 15 players for BPL

Players who have been granted permission includes former T20I captains Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued No Objection Certificate (NOC) to 15 players for participation in this year’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), which is going to start from November 4.

A total of 18 cricketers applied for NOCs,  but three players, namely middle-order batsman Baber Azam, opener Sharjeel Khan and all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz were not granted permission.

“These three cricketers are in contention for a place in the Test squad for the upcoming tour of New Zealand,” one PCB official confirmed Express News. “But if they are not picked in the 15 or 16 member squad for the tour, they will be granted permission to participate in the league.”

Players who have been granted permission includes former T20I captains Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, opener Ahmed Shehzad, middle-order batsman Umar Akmal and all-rounder Imad Wasim.

Earlier it was reported that PCB was reluctant in issuing the NOC to the players, as the board wanted them to take part in the ongoing domestic season.