BCCI unlikely to allow Indian players for the T20 League in Afghanistan

The BCCI does not allow Indian players to turn freelancers in the sense that they are not allowed to participate in T20 leagues outside the home country. The BCCI conducts various domestic tournaments in the country throughout the year and it wants the Indian players to take part in such tournaments rather than playing T20 cricket around the globe.

The number of T20 leagues around the World is growing day by day. Many players have become T20 specialists who only play franchise cricket around the globe. Afghanistan is the newest country to launch a T20 league of its own. The Afghanistan Cricket Board introduced the Afghanistan Premier League(APL) which will be held in the month of October in UAE. The ACB wants the Indian players to participate in the league but the BCCI is expected to maintain its current stand of not allowing Indian players to turn freelancers.

Long-term allies

More than 40 overseas cricketers have shown interest in the league to be staged in Sharjah from October 5-24. “I am not talking about the current Indian cricketers here but it will be great if the other Indian players can come and play in our league. I will speak to the BCCI officials on the subject but honestly, it looks tough at the moment.” ACB CEO Shafiqullah Stanikzai told PTI.

The BCCI and ACB are long-term allies but it is unlikely that it will change its stand for one T20 tournament. India has worked towards the growth of Afghanistan cricket by allowing them to train in Indian grounds and use the facilities there. “India has always lent a helping hand to its friend Afghanistan and will continue to do so.

The ACB officials have not so far come to us on the participation of our players in their league. Honestly speaking, it will be tough to allow the players at this stage. If we allow one, we have to give clearance to everyone.” a senior BCCI official told PTI.

The APL will consist of five teams and will comprise 24 games on home and away format. The management of the league wants to introduce the draft system rather than the auctions for picking up the players. The APL will provide a great experience for the Afghanistan players to run shoulders against the best and learn from them. The league will help Afghanistan to produce more world-class players at a much faster pace.

[interaction id=”5ae311fea65d2c5583f97185″]

Stay updated on ‘today’s cricket news‘ with CricTracker.com