Pakistan cricketers to receive CPL NOCs on August 19

LAHORE: Pakistan’s contracted cricketers heading to the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will have to wait until August 19 to receive their No-Objection Certificates (NOCs), as the national domestic calendar takes priority.

According to sources, the CPL is scheduled to begin on Friday, with the tournament final set to be played on September 20. However, Pakistan players involved in the domestic National Champions Cup will not be released for overseas commitments until the competition concludes.

The Champions Cup is being played in Multan from August 11 to 18, meaning the players selected for the tournament are expected to receive their CPL NOCs from the following day.

Several Pakistan players have CPL contracts this season, including Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Muaz Sadaqat, Naseem Shah and Sufiyan Muqeem. These players are also representing different teams in the Champions Cup, creating a scheduling clash between domestic and franchise cricket.

The decision means the players will join their respective CPL franchises only after completing their domestic commitments.

Meanwhile, Usman Tariq and Haseebullah Khan are also set to feature in the Caribbean tournament but are not part of the Champions Cup squad. Their availability is therefore not affected by the domestic competition in the same way.

The NOC timeline has attracted attention because the CPL is an important opportunity for Pakistan players to gain experience in overseas franchise cricket. For the players involved, the challenge will now be to make a quick transition from domestic cricket in Multan to the Caribbean conditions.

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s approach also underlines its emphasis on ensuring national players remain available for domestic competitions before taking part in overseas leagues.

With the CPL running until September 20, Pakistan fans will be closely watching how the country’s representatives perform once they join their respective franchises.