Mohammad Amir enters Afghanistan Premier League draft as British national

Mohammad Amir has registered for the Afghanistan Premier League draft as a British national and entered the Platinum category for the draft, scheduled to be held in Dubai on Tuesday, November 3. His registration has raised the possibility of him entering the Indian Premier League auction later this year.

Amir, 34, currently lives in England, has acquired British citizenship and has been formally listed as a UK national for the APL draft. The left-arm fast bowler has featured in England's domestic T20 competitions, the T20 Blast and The Hundred. He retired from international cricket in 2024 after previously reversing his retirement in 2020 and had earlier made it clear that his relationship with Pakistan cricket was over.

By registering as a UK national, Amir will not require a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in the same way as players registered under Pakistan's nationality, a possible advantage noted in his registration. A PCB spokesperson appeared to rule out the possibility of NOCs being issued to its players for the tournament.

More than 30 Pakistan players, including Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Hasan Ali, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf and Imad Wasim, are included on the APL draft register. A total of 462 players have been shortlisted across the draft categories.

The draft list also features former India internationals Vijay Shankar and KS Bharat, both of whom have retired from all forms of cricket, including the IPL; Vijay has registered as an Indian player while Bharat is listed as an Indian player resident in the UAE. Both have been placed in the Gold category alongside Murugan Ashwin.

There is precedent for a former Pakistan international playing in the IPL as a British national: Azhar Mahmood represented Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders between 2012 and 2015, appearing in 23 IPL matches, scoring 388 runs and picking up 29 wickets.

Amir's registration for the APL draft does not automatically guarantee entry into the IPL auction or a contract with a franchise, and whether he registers for the auction and whether teams show interest remains to be seen. The immediate confirmed step is the APL draft in Dubai on Tuesday, November 3, with the APL expected to be held later this year.