The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the names of players who have been granted No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to participate in some of the top international cricket leagues this summer.

 

Among these are Pakistan's top centrally contracted players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan.

 

According to PCB's policy, players who are under central contracts are only allowed to take part in two foreign leagues within a calendar year. This rule helps the board manage players' workload and is the main reason why some players are either approved or denied NOCs.

 

The list includes players taking part in several leagues around the world. Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan are set to feature in Australia's Big Bash League (BBL). Mohammad Amir, Shan Masood, Kashif Ali, Abbas Afridi, Khawaja Khurram and Hasan Ali have been cleared to play County Cricket in England. Meanwhile, Khawaja Nafay and Hasan Nawaz will participate in the Global Super League and Muhammad Nawaz and Hassan Khan are set to join the Caribbean Premier League.

 

Meanwhile, Babar Azam’s name is not officially in the first phase of BBL 15 draft registrations; however, his inclusion in the PCB’s NOC list indicates that he is available for selection.

 

The BBL 15 Draft is scheduled for 19 June 2025, when Pakistani players will be up for grabs. This year marks the first time that Pakistani cricketers will be available for the entire BBL season, giving teams greater flexibility in selecting their squads.