PCB’s lack of clear NOC policy resurfaces as 102 Pakistan players register for LPL

The Pakistan Cricket Board's inability to implement a clear policy on allowing players to participate in overseas T20 leagues has once again come under scrutiny, with as many as 102 Pakistani cricketers registering for the Lanka Premier League scheduled for July-August.

With T20 leagues mushrooming across the cricket world, Pakistani players generally register in large numbers for such tournaments.

Only players who register for a league are subsequently shortlisted for the draft or auction.

A well-informed source said that since the PCB has not systematically and consistently implemented a uniform policy for foreign T20 leagues, agents go ahead and register players without first being certain whether the board would grant clearance for the tournament.

In most cases, only a few Pakistani players are shortlisted for the draft or auction, with the highest participation usually seen in the controversy-ridden Bangladesh Premier League and, secondly, the Lanka Premier League, which is being held after a one-year gap.

In other major T20 leagues around the world, including the Emirates International League, The Hundred, SA20 and the Caribbean Premier League, not many Pakistani players are picked in the auction.

The Big Bash League, which is still owned and operated by Cricket Australia, witnessed its highest number of Pakistani participants last season when Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan made their first appearances, joining players such as Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan, who had featured in the league earlier.

The source said the PCB itself was still unclear on how to implement a consistent and universal NOC system for players, as it did not want to face criticism for preventing those not on national duty from participating in overseas leagues.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)