Lahore, September 30, 2025: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has suspended all no-objection certificates (NOCs) for players seeking to participate in overseas T20 leagues, ESPNcricinfo reported on Tuesday.
PCB Chief Operating Officer Sumair Ahmad Syed issued a notice to players and their agents, stating: “With the approval of chairman PCB, all NOCs for players with respect to participation in leagues and other out-of-country tournaments are hereby put on hold until further orders.”
The move’s rationale has not been publicly explained. However, reports suggest the PCB intends to link NOCs to a performance-based system designed to incentivize strong domestic and international performances. Details of the criteria, or the timeline for the suspension to be lifted, have not yet been disclosed.
The decision could impact several Pakistani stars. Seven players, including Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi, were expected to feature in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) in December. Additionally, 16 players — among them Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, and Fakhar Zaman — are shortlisted for the International League T20 auction scheduled for October 1 in the UAE.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s domestic first-class season is set to begin with the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy on October 26, featuring 18 regional teams across three groups.
The suspension comes in the aftermath of Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025 campaign, where the national side lost to India in the final after two earlier defeats in the tournament, despite having won the preceding T20I tri-series against Afghanistan and the UAE.
