Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will not grant Azam Khan a NOC to play in UAE’s ILT20 league, according to reports.
Azam was the only Pakistani selected in the league’s draft by Desert Vipers, the only side in the competition not to have Indian owners.
The wicket-keeper batter’s availability for the league was completely dependent on PCB’s decision but the board was adamant that no player from Pakistan will be allowed to participate in the competition, having already made the organisers aware of their decision.
With the West Indies series postponed, players from Pakistan will be allowed to honour their contracts in the Big Bash League and the Bangladesh Premier League but will not be made available for SA20 and the ILT20.
Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf and Asif Ali will represent Hobart Hurricanes and can now extend their stay in Australia.
All six teams of SA20, where no Pakistani player was in the draft pool, are owned by IPL owners. The contentious nature between the two boards, among other factors, contributed to PCB’s decision of no NOCs.
The eighth edition of PSL will also start just days after the ILT20 ends in February 2023 and it is likely that the board wants Azam to focus his efforts on the domestic league.
Azam Khan was also not granted a NOC for his participation in the Caribbean Premier League after he decided to skip the domestic season in favour of playing for Barbados Royals, which was later revoked.
His performances in the tournament, combined with Pakistan’s need for a hard-hitting batter, have led to speculation that his place in the national side will be fast-tracked once he replicates his stats in the domestic circuit.
