PCB refuses to issue NOC to Faheem Ashraf and Usman Shinwari for BBL

The Pakistan Cricket Board is once again in the news. After having revoked the No-objection Certificate of a plethora of its players in the recently-concluded Abu Dhabi T10 League, the PCB is at it again. In a recent development, the Pakistan Cricket Board has refused to grant No Objection Certificates of two of its players- all-rounder Faheem Ashraf and fast bowler Usman Khan Shinwari- to participate in the upcoming Big Bash League in Australia.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has come under intense scrutiny in recent times following their inconsistent stand at awarding NOC’s to its players. Back in October, the board had revoked the No-objection certificates of a plethora of its players from participating in the Abu Dhabi T10 League at the very last minute, after having initially awarded the same.

Both Faheem Ashraf and Usman Khan Shinwari were set to leave for Australia next week. Ashraf, who has not played an international match for his country after being dropped from the set-up prior to the fifty-over World Cup had signed up for BBL franchise Melbourne Renegades, while Shinwari too was signed by the same team for the first five matches.

According to a source in Pakistan Cricket Board, Faheem Ashraf has been asked to concentrate on playing domestic cricket while Shinwari was added to the Pakistan squad for the ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka on home soil.

PCB working on a new document which will allow its players to participate in only two leagues

As stated earlier, this is not the first time that the PCB has come under the scanner for its diabolical stand on issuing NOC’s. Its decision to revoke the NOC of cricketers for the T10 League at the last moment had put the entire competition, as well as the players, at risk of losing a lot of money. The board had defended the decision back then, stating that it was taken to manage the players’ workload.

“To manage the players’ workload, continued work on their fitness levels as well as to ensure primacy and participation of its players in its premier Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the PCB has revoked conditional NOCs of its players to feature in the T10 tournament,” the PCB said in its statement.

“The decision has been made in the best interest of the players as well as to continue to enhance the credibility and reputation of the new domestic structure, which has been widely covered and reported across all media outlets.” PCB had said back then as quoted by Sportstar.

According to a PCB source, the board is now working on a new document which will allow players to participate in only two franchise-based competition. Meanwhile, Melbourne Renegades have replaced the Pakistani duo with Richard Gleeson and Harry Gurney.

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