The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has declined giving No Objection Certificates (NOC) to Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi to participate in the Global T20 Canada, which is set to start on July 25. According to the PCB release, the board received NOC requests from the trio, but after taking into consideration the upcoming busy cricket season, it was decided to turn down their requests.
“The PCB had received NOC requests from Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi for the Global T20 event, amongst other players. After taking into consideration Pakistan’s busy and packed cricket calendar in the period from August 2024 to March 2025, which includes nine ICC World Test Championship matches and next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and following consultations with the three players as well as the national selection committee, it has been decided to decline their requests,” PCB said in a statement released on Friday.
“The three are all-format cricketers, and their services are expected to be required in the upcoming eight months during which Pakistan will play nine Tests, 14 ODIs, and nine T20Is. As such, and in line with the PCB’s workload management policy, it is in the best interest of Pakistan cricket and the players that they skip the upcoming event in Canada so that they are in their best mental and physical shape for the season, which commences with the two-Test series against Bangladesh,” the statement added.
Earlier, the board also declined the NOC for star pacer Naseem Shah to participate in The Hundred on the same grounds. However, four players—Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Nawaz—who are part of white-ball teams were granted NOCs.
“The PCB has approved NOCs for Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Nawaz. The four players are predominantly white-ball cricketers, while Iftikhar and Nawaz are centrally contracted players,” the PCB stated.
Upcoming matches for Pakistan
After a forgetful T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and USA, Pakistan will tour Bangladesh next month and face them in a two-match Test series. England is set to tour Pakistan for a three-match Test series in October, and then Pakistan will face Australia in three ODIs and as many T20Is in November.
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