Babar Azam has been killed by Pakistan’s latest Crackdown. In a shocking step, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has suspended all the No Object Certificate (NOC) that allows Pakistani players to participate in the foreign T20 league including the upcoming Big Bash League 2025-26 (BBL 2025-26) in Australia.
PCB decided in the final of the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai, just a day after India’s loss of five wickets. While no official reason has been provided for the move, it is said that PCB wants all players to focus on domestic competitions and national priorities.
The Chief Operating Officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Sumaiyar Ahmed Syed issued a notice on 29 September, in which all the NOCs issued to Pakistani players were placed until the order of Chairman Mohsin Naqvi left uncertainty for their availability to the foreign T20 league.
Babur Azam as PCB suspends all NOCs for the largest losing foreign T20 league
According to ESPNCRICINFO, the players and their agents read notice, “With the approval of the chairman PCB, the league and other out-of-kanti tournaments are not all any objection certificates (NOCs) for the players regarding participation in the out-of-kanti tournament, it is caught until further orders.”
Also read: Pakistan presented ICC Post Mohsin Naqvi Trophy Drama Indian cricket team suspension bid
The details about the potential discounts, the duration of suspension, or the details around the NOC for the foreign league are not clear. It seems that the PCB took this drastic step to punish the players for the final loss of its Asia Cup 2025 to India, but it was Babar Azam which was the greatest losing.
Babar Azam has already been out of Pakistan’s T20I setup for almost a year, and even the board tried to bring him back to the squad in the middle of the tournament, but the organizers refused their request. After losing a place on Pakistan’s T20I side, he was also blocked by participating in the Franchise League.
Loss of Asia Cup 2025, Pakistan has its foreign league stents
Now, amidst the Asia Cup Trophy drama, PCB closed the door on the participation of its top players in the franchise league worldwide; This is something BCCI has been doing for almost two decades. The decision directly affects several high-profile players, including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi.
He was scheduled to play in the upcoming Big Bash League 2025-26 (BBL 2025-26). Additionally, 18 Pakistani cricketers, including Nasim Shah, Sam Ayub and Fakhar Zaman, have been shortlisted for the upcoming ILT20 auction in UAE on 1 October.
Time is particularly important, with the Quad-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s leading domestic first-class tournament, will start in October after delay from 22 September.
Also: Watch- Salman Ali Aga, Mike Hessen enters the Indian dressing room in the final; Return empty handed again
Babur Azam prepares for South Africa test at NCA
Babar Azam is already participating in a special red-ball camp at NCA for the upcoming testing series against South Africa. On the other hand, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Salman Aga and Shaheen Shah Afridi will attend the camp at NCA on 4 October.
The PCB has also named the 18-man squad for the upcoming two-match test series against South Africa at home.
He has named three unaccounted players in the squad, and he is a spin-bouling all-rounder Asif Afridi, the left-arm wrist-spinner Faisal Akram and wicketkeeper-Baate Rohil Nazir. Shaan Masood will continue to lead the Test team.
The squad also stars Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafiq, Babur, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Rizwan, Naman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel and Shaheen.