Cricket fans all around the globe are excited to watch the first season of the International League T20. With the signings of numerous T20 superstars and commentators, the tournament is getting a lot of hype. One of those signings was of the hard-hitting Pakistani youngster Azam Khan.
However, the Pakistan Cricket Board has refused to issue him a No Objection Certificate to participate in the tournament. Consequently, he won’t be getting an opportunity to showcase his talent in the tournament.
The ILT20 League Will be Without a Pakistani Presence
The UAE T20 league has already announced the signings of many players from multiple countries. Even the likes of Robin Uthappa and Yusuf Pathan, who are former Indian cricketers, will also play in this competition. Apart from India, cricketers from Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka, and a few other countries have been roped in for the ILT20 league.
However, not even a single cricketer from Pakistan will be seen in the UAE T20 league. The only Pakistani cricketer, Azam Khan, who was signed by the Desert Vipers franchise, is also not allowed to play in the league.
Pakistan’s International Schedule and T20 Leagues
Usually, the cricket boards only deny NOC to centrally contracted players when there’s no room in their International schedule. But, Azam Khan does not have a central contract with the PCB. Also, they do have a gap in their schedule in the month of January. Also, the PSL 2023 will start after the end of the ILT20 league competition.
Moreover, Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, and Faheem Ashraf are currently participating in the BBL. Also, several Pakistani players will be playing in the BPL without facing any NOC issues. None of the cricketers from Pakistan will be playing in the SAT20 league or the UAE T20 league.
Why Was Azam Denied A No Objection Certificate?
Before the T20 World Cup, Azam skipped the domestic T20 competition to play the CPL. Initially, he wasn’t given a NOC, but he eventually got it. But, the choice of playing CPL may have impacted his chances of national selection as PCB decided to prefer the players who play in the domestic competitions.
