PCB to enforce Two-NOC Policy, restricting Pakistan players participation in overseas T20 Leagues: Report

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reinforced its two-NOC policy, restricting Pakistani players to participate in only two foreign T20 leagues per year following the national team's early exit from the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. This move aims to prioritise national duties and maintain players' fitness standards.

Ovaise Shariff

First Published Jun 15, 2024, 9:20 PM IST | Last Updated Jun 15, 2024, 9:20 PM IST

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to enforce stricter regulations on national players’ participation in overseas T20 leagues following the team's early exit from the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and Caribbean.

After Pakistan's failure to advance to the Super-8 round of the T20 World Cup 2024, the PCB has reaffirmed its two-NOCs (No Objection Certificate) policy for participation in foreign T20 leagues. Under this policy, Pakistani players with central or domestic contracts can only obtain NOCs for a maximum of two foreign leagues per year, in addition to their commitments in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Stricter Regulations on Overseas League Participation

The PCB aims to ensure that players prioritise national duty and maintain the fitness standards necessary for international competitions. This move comes in response to the team's disappointing performance and early exit from the T20 World Cup 2024.

Young talents Azam Khan and Saim Ayub, both part of Pakistan's 2024 T20 World Cup squad, have not received NOCs to participate in the upcoming Caribbean Premier League (CPL) despite being retained by their respective teams. The PCB has prioritised their availability for domestic and international fixtures to prevent potential risks related to workload and fitness from participating in numerous franchise leagues.

NOC Policy Applies to All Contracted Players

A PCB official, quoted by PTI, emphasised that the two-NOC rule applies to both centrally and domestically contracted players. The board also reserves the right to decline any NOC requests. For instance, leg-spinner Usama Mir faced an issue when he sought a NOC to participate in England's Vitality Blast and The Hundred tournaments, having already utilized his allowance for the year.

The source added, “Mir argued that since he had no international commitments and no domestic events, he should be allowed to play in England. However, he was told that this decision is for the board to make.”

Impact of Weather on World Cup Campaign

The Pakistan cricket team, led by Babar Azam, saw their hopes of advancing to the Super-8 stage dashed after the USA vs. Ireland match at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida, was washed out. The resulting points share allowed the USA to qualify, ending Pakistan's campaign in the first round. Pakistan will play their last match of the T20 World Cup 2024 on June 16 in Florida.

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