PCB limits NOCs for franchise cricket

It aims to ensure that its top players are well-rested ahead of a busy national schedule

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to limit the no objection certificates (NOCs) for all-formats players for the upcoming franchise cricket tournaments, sources said on Sunday.

The decision to limit the number of NOCs for franchise cricket is to make sure that the players stay away from injuries and their workload is managed properly as Pakistan have to play a lot of cricket before the commencement of Champions Trophy 2025.

The players who play in all formats — Test cricket, ODI and T20Is — will not be granted NOCs to participate in foreign leagues as the decision was taken during a meeting between the PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, red and white-ball coach.

Pakistan’s schedule till May 2025 is jam-packed due to which the PCB will deny the NOCs to players. The main priority for the Naqvi-led board is the players’ fitness and making sure they remain injury-free and are well-rested.

Pakistan will begin their two-Test series against Bangladesh next month and from then till the Champions Trophy 2025, the Green Shirts are poised to play nine red-ball, 14 ODIs and 9 T20Is matches.

Following the same policy, the PCB on Saturday decided against granting fast bowler Naseem Shah an NOC for The Hundred cricket league.

This will deprive Naseem of around Rs45 million as he was signed by the Birmingham Phoenix team for £125,000.

In the same way, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi will not be granted NOCs to play in the Global T20 League Canada which is to begin from July 25 to August 11.

It is worth mentioning that the PCB’s policy is to allow players to play two franchise cricket leagues alongside the Pakistan Super League (PSL).