PSL 10: PCB willing to ditch English players to ‘prioritise long-term relationship’ with ECB

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to prioritise long-term relationship with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) over players’ No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for Pakistan Super League’s tenth season.

The PSL has become a key event on Pakistan's cricket calendar, attracting talent from around the world. However, recent changes in the ECB policy have created challenges for the league. 

The ECB has denied permission for their red-ball players to participate in the PSL during the domestic season but has allowed them to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) during the same.

James Vince has decided to skip first-class cricket to ensure his availability for the PSL. Other players, including Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, and Ben Duckett, also wanted to join the PSL, but the ECB will not issue them a NOC, reports said.

PSL franchises were informed before the draft that these players would not be available. Some players were ready to confront the ECB, with Bairstow even considering retirement from international cricket, but he has not taken that step yet.

According to reports, an ECB official told Pakistan that even if the players took action, the issue would remain unresolved until the PSL ends. Therefore, the PCB has decided to prioritize its long-standing relationship with the ECB over the potential conflict. It means not being able to have some English players in this year's PSL.

The PCB believes that when the PSL returns to its original February-March window, English players will not face issues in getting approval. Similar challenges may arise in the future, and damaging relations with the ECB would not be wise.

As a result, several English stars will not participate in this year's PSL.

PSL's new chairman, Salman Naseer, recently visited England but was unable to convince the ECB to change its NOC policy. 

The PSL season 10 will take place in the April-May window.