PCB unlikely to allow Babar Rizwan Afridi to play in Canadian GT20 league

Karachi, Jul 19 (PTI) Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is unlikely to allow senior players Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi to play in the upcoming Global T20 Canadian League, citing a busy international calendar.
    The 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, informed a reliable source in the board.
    That these three cricketers play in all formats of the sport too influenced the board’s decision, said the source.
    “The board has allowed NOCs to some of those players who are not all format players like Shadab Khan to play in some leagues.
    “But since Babar, Shaheen and Rizwan play in all formats the case is different for them,” the source said.
    The source attributed PCB’s call to deny an NOC for pacer Naseem Shah to play in the Hundred in England too to the same reason.
    However, he conceded that the board is expecting resentment from the players and their agents as their contracts are quite lucrative for the GT20.
    “The Canadian league is yet to get its clearance from the ICC as well,” the source added.
    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, 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 T20 Cup.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)