Shaheen, Babar, Rizwan Denied NOCs to Play in Global T20 Canada
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided not to give permission to Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan to play in the Global T20 Canada. ESPNcricinfo reported that the PCB made this decision after talking with the players and the selection committee. The reason given by the PCB is that they need these players for upcoming international matches.
Strict Decision From PCB
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided not to let their top players participate in the Global T20 Canada tournament. They have a strict rule to keep these players available for important international matches. According to ESPNcricinfo, the PCB highlighted the importance of these players for Pakistan’s busy schedule from August 2024 to March 2025. This includes nine Tests in the ICC World Test Championship, the ICC Champions Trophy, 14 ODIs, and nine T20Is. The PCB said, “These players are important because they play in all three formats, and Pakistan will need them in the next eight months.”
Impact on International Commitments
(PCB) has decided not to allow Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan to play in the Global T20 Canada tournament. This decision aims to make sure they are fully ready and free for the upcoming extensive Test and limited-overs series. ESPNcricinfo reported that Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, and Asif Ali got permission to play in different T20 tournaments. However, because of the busy Test schedule coming up, the PCB is limiting the involvement of their top players in franchise leagues.
Marquee Players Affected
The decision to pull out these star players from the Global T20 Canada is likely to affect the league in a big way. Shaheen Shah Afridi was especially looking forward to playing in the tournament. He had even opted out of participating in the Hundred last month to make sure he could join the Canada league. The PCB’s decision shows that they want to protect the national team’s interests during a time when there are many important international matches scheduled.
PCB’s Busy Schedule
From October 2024 to May 2025, Pakistan’s cricket schedule is very busy with important matches and tournaments. They will play Test matches at home against England, limited-overs series in Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, and a Test series in South Africa. They will also have home Test matches against the West Indies, a tri-series at home with South Africa and New Zealand, and the Champions Trophy at home. Additionally, there are eight white-ball matches scheduled in New Zealand and the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
During this period, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has clearly stated that they will not allow players who participate in all formats of the game to play in other tournaments outside of these scheduled matches and tournaments.
As people in the cricketing world respond to the PCB’s decision, it’s evident that the board is sticking to its promise of putting the national team’s success first in upcoming international matches. With a demanding schedule ahead, having important players like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan available will be very important for handling the challenges of the 2024-2025 season.