LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) annou­nced on Saturday it will not release its centrally-contracted players from Nov 7 to 17 for the T20 leagues in South Africa and Bangla­desh to ensure their presence in the National T20 Cup, being held in Multan and Faisalabad from Nov 7 to 23.

The Global T20 League is set to be held in South Africa from Nov 3 to Dec 16 with the Bangladesh Premier League also scheduled to run almost concurrently, from Nov 3 to Dec 12.

The National T20 was deferred in September after the tour of the World XI in September for three Twenty20 Internationals of the Independence Cup in Lahore.

Retired players like Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan and those who are not centrally-contracted like Mohammad Sami and Sohail Tanvir, however, will be given NOCs from the start of the leagues.

“In order to facilitate our players and also keeping in view good relationship with Bangladesh and South Africa cricket boards, NOCs would be issued to all centrally-contracted players to play in the BPL and Global T20 League, subject to the condition that they must play PCB’s T20 tournament,” a PCB press release states here on Saturday.

“The PCB has decided that all the centrally-contracted players, who are not facing any other restriction must also participate in PCB’s T20 tournament to strengthen our domestic cricket, as per best international practices.”

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2017