Players unhappy after PCB refuses to grant NOCs

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to hold back its players from participating in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) was met with disapproval by the cricketers who rarely get a chance to take part in similar cash-strapped events.

The second edition of BPL – starting on January 18 – signed 26 Pakistan cricketers including Imran Nazir and Shahid Afridi who were sold for the highest amount at $280,000 and $275,000 respectively. The list of Pakistan cricketers also includes those who have yet to play at the international level with the upcoming tournament was the golden opportunity for them to earn handsome purse.
However, they were deprived of the chance as the PCB decided to refuse to issue NOCs to them following Bangladesh’s cancellation of their team’s tour to Pakistan.

“The PCB’s CEO Subhan Ahmed said if we don’t send the Bangladesh team on tour to Pakistan, they won’t give NOCs to their players to participate in the BPL,” said BCB’s media committee chairman Jalal Yunus. “We will hold the tournament without their participation and it will start as per
“As per practice and procedures in vogue, a home board has to approach the visiting players’ Board seeking release of its players for their schedule. I couldn’t imagine that they could deliberately wait for so long to inform us that they won’t give the NOCs.”

BCB bypassed PCB for player signing

Meanwhile, a PCB spokesperson said the BCB contacted Pakistan players directly instead of talking to the Board.domestic cricket competitions,” said the official. “In the BPL’s case, the BCB, their representatives and the players’ agents were in contact with the Pakistan cricketers and the PCB was kept in the dark. Even the auction of Pakistan players at BPL was done without PCB’s prior permission. It is a cause of embarrassment when boards are bypassed and players are approached directly.”

Players unhappy with PCB decision

Meanwhile, Pakistan Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez said the players will whole-heartedly accept the PCB’s decision on the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) but there are only a few who share his views.
“It’s not fair and there should have been some other solution,” a domestic cricketer told The Express Tribune. “If the decision was inevitable, the board must compensate the money that we will lose due to the forced withdrawal.”
Meanwhile, a senior PCB official said the board did not hold any discussion on compensating the cricketers.
“We haven’t discussed anything on providing compensation to the players yet and it will be premature to say anything on that.”