PCB restricts foreign league participation

LAHORE: The decision of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made the chances of national cricketers participating in foreign leagues extremely difficult.

According to reports, it has been decided to hold a four-team ODI tournament in August, due to which the chances of several national players getting an NOC for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) have become extremely low.

Sources say that the PCB is currently working on the selection of players for the ODI tournament, all white-ball cricketers have been informed that participation in this tournament to be held in August will be mandatory. For this reason, the policy of issuing NOC for foreign leagues is also likely to be restricted.

The Caribbean Premier League is scheduled from August 7 to September 20, however, many Pakistani players wishing to participate in this event may face difficulties.

According to sources, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Sufyan Muqim, Saad Masood, Usman Khan and Salman Irshad are likely to not get NOCs, while the NOC issued earlier to Moaz Sadaqat may also be ineffective in practice as his participation now seems uncertain.

It should be noted that the PCB has taken this decision keeping in mind the preparations for the World Cup to be held next season. The board wants to test talented players through as many ODI matches as possible and prepare a strong squad for the national team.

According to cricket experts, this move by the PCB could prove important for the preparation for the World Cup, however, it has also raised concerns that the players will be deprived of playing in international franchise leagues, gaining experience and financial benefits.