LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has declined Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi’s respective requests for NOC’s to participate in the Global T20 — a franchise tournament to be played in Canada this month.

In an announcement regarding the matter late on Friday night, the PCB said the decision was in accordance with the board’s workload management policy, given Pakistan’s packed cricket calendar from August to March next year.

“The PCB had received NOC requests from Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi for the Global T20 event, amongst other players,” read the statement. “After taking into consideration Pakistan’s busy and packed cricket calendar in the period from August 2024 to March 2025, which includes nine ICC World Test Championship matches and next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and following consultations with the three players as well as the national selection committee, it has been decided to decline their requests.”

The PCB believed Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen’s status as “all-format” cricketers did not allow the board to let the star trio participate in a franchise T20 tournament.

“The three are all-format cricketers and their services are expected to be required in the upcoming eight months during which Pakistan will play nine Tests, 14 ODIs, and nine T20Ism” said the PCB. “As such, and in line with the PCB’s workload management policy, it is in the best interest of Pakistan cricket and the players that they skip the upcoming event in Canada so that they are in their best mental and physical shape for the season, which commences with the two-Test series against Bangladesh.”

Earlier, the PCB had also declined permission to Naseem Shah for The Hundred on the same grounds.

According to a report by the Press Trust of India news agency earlier on Friday, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi held discussions with coaches Jason Gilliespie and Gary Kirsten, who were also not in favour of allowing these players to participate in the GT20.

In the meantime, the board has approved NOCs for Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Nawaz. The four players are predominantly white-ball cricketers, while Iftikhar and Nawaz are centrally contracted players.

Pakistan have a packed international schedule in 2024-25 and earlier this week the PCB also confirmed that they would play five T20Is and three ODIs in New Zealand after the Champions Trophy in February-March.

Pakistan is hosting Bangladesh, England and West Indies at home and will also visit South Africa, Australia and New Zealand in all-format rubbers.

The PCB will also host a triangular series with New Zealand and South Africa as a curtain raiser to the Champions Trophy.

However, the PCB chairman or national selectors have still not had a proper meeting with the senior players including Babar after the team’s disastrous campaign in the T20 World Cup.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2024