The Cricket Australia chief has finally revealed that Pakistani players, who have been part of various BBL teams, have finally received their much-awaited approval from the PCB, and the NOC will now allow them to participate in overseas tournaments without any hindrance.
Last month, in September, PCB’s Chief Operating Officer, Sumair Ahmed Syed, had sent a notice to players and agents informing them about the board’s decision to bar players from participating in overseas T20 leagues.
PCB issues NOC to Pakistani players for participating in BBL
Pakistani players have reportedly been cleared to join the competition because of concerns that the PCB would refuse to provide them with No Objection Certificates for overseas tournaments.
Cricket Australia chief Todd Greenberg announced the confirmation of the arrival of Pakistan players for the BBL as per the schedule.
“It came out 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 looking forward to seeing them here this 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.
Pakistan players will take part in the upcoming Big Bash season following concerns that they may be stuck in the PCB’s refusal to issue no-objection certificates for overseas tournaments.
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Ravichandran Ashwin will share dressing room with Pakistani spinner
The upcoming Big Bash League will see an eagerly anticipated head-to-head contest between Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi, while in another major turn of events, Ravichandran Ashwin will pair up with all-rounder Shadab Khan for Sydney Thunder.
R Ashwin is all set to play the entire Big Bash League season for Sydney Thunder as he will be the first Indian player to play in the Australian global T20 league. This discussion has inspired more Indian players to follow Ashwin’s path of retirement to seek opportunities in foreign leagues.
Todd Greenberg isn’t worried about senior cricketers; He focuses on the next generation
While Greenberg himself downplayed concerns about the current group of senior Australian players leaving, he said it could be a big issue for the next generation coming up.
“I think it’s a real concern for everyone that players have the leverage and the option to ply their trade everywhere they go,” he said. He added, “But I will say this: every player I talk to, their priority A is to play for their country… so it’s a really important marker.”
“But, and here’s the big but here, the next generation is really what I’m focused on. It’s not the current crop that I’m worried about like the next generation of players. We have to make sure we find ways for them to remain in Australian cricket, still generate central contracts, and still want to play for their country in the same way that generations past do and this current generation does,” he added.
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