Why Pakistan players are unlikely to feature in Abu Dhabi T10 after PCB’s late $10,000 NOC demand; all you need to know
Mint · Aachal Maniyar ·
PCB has long charged a fee for leagues where it sees limited reciprocal benefit. Officials have argued that players from countries such as Nepal and the UAE are not in high demand in the Pakistan Super League.
Pakistan players look set to miss the Abu Dhabi T10 after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) withheld No-Objection Certificates unless the league pays USD 10,000 for every player cleared to take part. The demand arrived only days before the tournament’s scheduled start on 7 November, leaving franchises little time to respond.
The Abu Dhabi T10 management applied for NOCs soon after its player draft on 30 September. The PCB only communicated the USD 10,000 charge at the start of this week. Sixteen Pakistani cricketers had already been selected by five of the six franchises. Some players were prepared to pay the fee themselves from their salaries if their teams refused, but mediation efforts have not succeeded. Franchises are now looking for replacement players.
The PCB took a similar stand last month when it withheld NOCs for the Nepal Premier League and asked for USD 25,000 per player. While Hussain Talat and Jahandad Khan stayed and played, most others returned home without featuring. The same pattern now threatens the Abu Dhabi T10.