The Cricket Australia chief finally revealed that the Pakistani players who are part of the various BBL teams have finally got their long-awaited clearance from the PCB, and the NOC will now lead them to participate in the overseas tournament without any hurdles.
Last month in September, PCB Chief Operating Officer Sumair Ahmad Syed sent out a notice informing players and agents about the board’s decision to stop players from participating in overseas T20 leagues.
PCB issues NOC to Pakistani players for participation in BBL
Pakistani players were reportedly given permission to join the competition after fearing they would be caught out by the PCB’s refusal to provide them with a no-objection certificate for overseas tournaments.
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Cricket Australia chief Todd Greenberg has announced confirmation that Pakistani players will arrive for the BBL as planned.
“This happened last week,” Greenberg said. “So they’ll all be playing; they’ve all been cleared to play, which we’re really excited about because we’ve got some great Pakistani players in the BBL, so we’re looking forward to seeing them here in the summer.”
Babar Azam (Sydney Sixers), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Brisbane Heat), Hasan Ali (Adelaide Strikers), Mohammad Rizwan (Melbourne Renegades), Haris Rauf (Melbourne Stars) and Shadab Khan (Sydney Thunder) are among the Pakistani players registered in the BBL.
Pakistani players will take part in the upcoming Big Bash season amid fears of being caught out by the PCB’s refusal to issue no-objection certificates for overseas tournaments.
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Ravichandran Ashwin to share dressing room with Pakistani spinner
A much-anticipated face-off between Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi will take place in the upcoming Big Bash League, while in another major turn of events, Ravichandran Ashwin will team up with all-rounder Shadab Khan for the Sydney Thunder.
R Ashwin is all set to play the full season for the Big Bash League for the Sydney Thunder as he will be the first Indian player to play in the Australian T20 global league. This discussion has prompted more Indian players to follow Ashwin’s retirement path to explore opportunities in foreign leagues.
Todd Greenberg is not interested in senior cricketers; it focuses on the next generation
While Greenberg himself doesn’t place much stock in concerns over the departure of Australia’s current crop of senior players, he said it could be a major problem for the next generation in the making.
“I think it’s a realistic concern for everyone that players have the power and choice to ply their trade anywhere,” he said. “But I will say this: with every player I speak to, priority A is to play for your country… so that’s a really important marker,” he added.
“But, and there’s a big but here, the next generation is really what I’m focused on. It’s not this current generation that I’m concerned about as much as the next generation of players. We need to make sure that we find ways for them to stay in Australian cricket, still generate central contracts and still want to play for their country in the same way that generations have done and this current generation,” he added.
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