In a directive issued on September 29, COO Sumair Ahmad Syed informed players and agents that, “With the approval of Chairman PCB, all NOCs for participation in leagues and other out-of-country tournaments are hereby put on hold until further orders.”
The board has not clarified the reasoning behind this sudden step, though reports suggest it may be linked to a forthcoming performance-based framework that ties overseas opportunities to national and domestic output. Details of the criteria or a timeline for lifting the suspension remain undisclosed.
The move follows Pakistan’s narrow defeat to India in the Asia Cup final in the UAE, though they also returned home with a tri-series title.
The uncertainty puts the participation of several stars in jeopardy. Seven Pakistani cricketers, including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi, are lined up for the Big Bash League in December.
Meanwhile, 16 players are shortlisted for the ILT20 auction in the UAE on October 1, among them Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman.
Many of these names are also crowd-pullers in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), where Pakistani stars have built a strong following, that’s now also in danger.
