Star trio Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan refused NOCs by PCB for Global T20 Canada

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has denied No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to star players Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan for their participation in the Global T20 Canada. This decision was confirmed in an official statement from the board, which followed consultations with the players and the national selection committee. The move comes just a week after the PCB similarly denied an NOC to Naseem Shah for the Hundred, where he was signed by the Birmingham Phoenix.

“The PCB had received NOC requests from Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi for the Global T20 event, amongst other players. After taking into consideration Pakistan’s busy and packed cricket calendar in the period from August 2024 to March 2025, which includes nine ICC World Test Championship matches and next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and following consultations with the three players as well as the national selection committee, it has been decided to decline their requests,” PCB said in a statement.

Focus on international schedule and workload management

The PCB cited Pakistan’s busy international schedule as a key factor in their decision. With the trio playing significant roles across all formats, their presence will be crucial for Pakistan’s upcoming fixtures, which include nine Tests, 14 ODIs, and nine T20Is over the next eight months.

The board emphasized that the decision was made in the best interest of managing player workload and ensuring peak performance for crucial international matches.

“PCB had also declined permission to Naseem Shah for The Hundred on the same grounds…”

From October 2024 to May 2025, Pakistan’s packed schedule features series against England, Australia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and the West Indies, culminating in preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy.

“The three are all-format cricketers, and their services are expected to be required in the upcoming eight months during which Pakistan will play nine Tests, 14 ODIs, and nine T20Is. As such, and in line with the PCB’s workload management policy, it is in the best interest of Pakistan Cricket and the players that they skip the upcoming event in Canada so that they are in their best mental and physical shape for the season, which commences with the two-Test series against Bangladesh,” the statement added.

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“Earlier, the PCB had also declined permission to Naseem Shah for The Hundred on the same grounds,” the PCB said in the statement.

“In the meantime, the PCB has approved NOCs for Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Nawaz. The four players are predominantly white-ball cricketers, while Iftikhar and Nawaz are centrally contracted players,” the statement concluded.