PCB Reaches Agreement with Abu Dhabi T10 Organizers on Player NOCs

Pakistani cricketers are now closer to featuring in the upcoming Abu Dhabi T10 League after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) settled its differences with the tournament organizers over player NOCs.

As part of the agreement, the league organizers will offer the PCB compensation and facilities worth up to USD 200,000 in return for issuing No-Objection Certificates (NOCs), according to recent media reports.

The issue had come up after several franchises and players contacted the PCB, urging the board to allow the selected Pakistani cricketers to take part in the competition.

The requests were then discussed with the relevant authorities, with the PCB showing a willingness to consider the appeals and find a way forward.

The agreement has now cleared a major hurdle for Pakistani players, with the Abu Dhabi T10 League scheduled to start on November 7.

For the unversed, the participation of Pakistani cricketers in the Abu Dhabi T10 League had been in doubt after reports emerged that the PCB was holding back their NOCs over a fee dispute.

The board had reportedly asked for USD 10,000 for each NOC, a demand that put franchises in a difficult position as they faced the choice of paying the extra amount or finding replacement players before the tournament.

According to reports, the league management had submitted NOC requests for Pakistani players soon after the draft, which took place on September 30.

However, the PCB only informed the organizers about the USD 10,000 fee per player at the start of this week, leaving little time to resolve the issue before the tournament began.

A total of 16 Pakistani players were selected by five of the six teams in the Abu Dhabi T10 League draft. Reports also suggested that some players were ready to have the NOC fee deducted from their salaries if their franchises refused to pay the extra amount.

The PCB's stance on charging overseas leagues for player NOCs has changed several times over the years. The issue dates back to the launch of the International League T20 (ILT20), when the board began seeking payments from leagues for allowing Pakistani players to take part.

Pakistan Players Set to Play in Abu Dhabi T10 League

Salman Irshad (Arabian Aces), Akif Javed, Hasan Nawaz, Ali Raza (Emirates Eagles), Naseem Shah (Royal Desert Champions), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Khawaja Nafay, Khushdil Shah, Azam Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr (UAE Bulls), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Sufyan Moqeem and Abbas Afridi (United Tigers).