Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued show-cause notices to a group of cricketers who have been playing in America without obtaining the necessary permission. In a shift away from the Pakistani national team, several cricketers are pursuing opportunities in American cricket leagues, leading to a situation where more than 15 players have ventured to play without seeking approval from the PCB. In response, the PCB has taken the step of issuing show-cause notices to these players for their actions.
Interestingly, the players who went to play in the Houston Open tournament, including Soheb Maqsood, Arshad Iqbal, Arash Ali, Hussain Talat, Ali Shafiq, Imad Butt, Usman Shinwari, Umeed Asif, Zeeshan Ashraf, Saif Badr, Mukhtar Ahmed, and Numan Anwar, did so without obtaining a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the PCB. Similarly, individuals like Salman Arshad, Mossadegh Ahmed, Imran Khan Jr., Ali Nasir, and Hussain Talat, who are currently participating in a minor league, also did not seek the necessary permission. On the other hand, players such as Fawad Alam, Hasan Khan, Asif Mehmood, Mir Hamza, Sharjeel Khan, and Anwar Ali did adhere to the requirement of obtaining an NOC from the PCB before participating in foreign leagues.
The PCB has established a financial condition of $10,000 for obtaining an NOC before competing in foreign leagues. This fee is payable to the team rather than the players themselves. Additionally, if a player subsequently enters into a contract with another Pakistani player, an additional $10,000 fee is applicable. Notably, while the PCB collected fees for NOCs related to the Houston Open, no charges were levied for participation in the minor league.
Efforts to seek proof and a commitment from the cricketers that they would not be available for future Pakistani national team or domestic cricket endeavors were met with silence from those who failed to acquire the necessary permissions from the PCB.
