Pakistani players’ predicament in the CSA and UAE leagues

The key concern that is arising from the agreements is if any Pakistani players have been signed given that the franchises of the UAE and South Africa leagues are permitted to sign players of their choice outside of the auction/draft. Will they ever be, or what?

The Big Bash League (BBL) is one of the international competitions for which the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that it has not yet issued NOCs to any of its players, although it is still uncertain how many Pakistani players will ultimately make it onto the final rosters of the two new leagues.

“The PCB has not yet decided whether to grant players NOCs. It is now considering proposals for the BBL and ILT20 (UAE League) Drafts to release player names. The second stage of the process is issuing NOCs, according to the PCB, which added that it has not yet received any requests from the CSA for its league.”

The ILT20’s organiser, the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), has granted its six teams the go-ahead to recruit players of their choosing without affecting the financial slabs and total wage ceiling ($2 million). After the signing exercises are over, the ECB will hold a draught or a AUDRA (a mix of an auction and draught combine).

However, given that Indian investors own five out of the six teams, it is always uncertain if any of them will favour Pakistani players. At least three of those teams’ representatives have told this publication that they are not considering Pakistan as a possible alternative.

According to popular belief, the Glazer family of Manchester United fame owns the only team that will be considering signing Pakistani players. The team may have even sought to sign Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi while Tom Moody served as its cricket director. However, it has not come to pass as of yet.

The PCB statement made reference to this. The PCB stated without mentioning any names, “Requests for two centrally contracted players for the ILT20 had been made to the PCB in July. The NOC clearance was conditional on the two players’ workload and participation in the international series against New Zealand and the West Indies, which coincide with ILT20, the PCB had told the Player Agent on July 26.”

The Emirates Board has decreed that each side may have a roster of 18 players, including two players from Associate Nations, four UAE citizens, and 12 international players. There must be two UAE players in the starting lineup.

In the CSA League, the issue is more complicated. In spite of the fact that all six franchises are owned by the IPL clubs, Cricket South Africa (CSA) officials claim they are open to the participation of Pakistani players. Over 30 international athletes, including those from England, the West Indies, and Sri Lanka, have been signed by the CSA. There is also one player from New Zealand, however, there isn’t a Pakistani player yet. When approached, a League representative did not completely rule out the notion.

According to the CSA, the franchises are permitted to recruit up to four players, with the requirement that at least one of them must be a South African. There cannot be more than two people from the same nation among the remaining three. The league has set a limit of 17 players, including 10 domestic players and 7 overseas players. Similar to the IPL, the playing XI can include up to four international players, with a salary maximum of $ 2 million. In September, there could be an auction at which point it would be known how many applicants from Pakistan were taken into account.