PCB's late USD 10,000 NOC demand sidelines Pakistan players from Abu Dhabi T10

The Pakistan Cricket Board's late request for a USD 10,000 no-objection certificate (NOC) fee has forced Pakistani players out of the Abu Dhabi T10 League, which is due to begin on Saturday, organisers and franchise officials said. League organisers are scrambling to find replacement players after the PCB sought the fee for every Pakistani player signed for the tournament.

Franchise representatives said they had applied for NOCs in late September but only received the fee demand days ago. "What surprised us was that while we had applied for NOCs for players for the league back in late September, we only got the demand for the USD 10,000 fee few days back," an official associated with a franchise in the league said on telephone on Thursday. Franchises had initially signed about 14-15 players from Pakistan for the Abu Dhabi tournament.

Franchise personnel described an urgent scramble to fill the slots vacated by Pakistani signings. He said the franchises are now "running from pillar to post to sign replacements for the 14-15 players signed from Pakistan for the league." "It is very unprofessional even if they (PCB) want to charge a NOC fee they should have given enough time for franchises and management to work out some solution. Their demand came very late," he continued.

The PCB began seeking NOC fees from franchises last year, according to franchise sources, and the issue has affected other competitions. Franchises in the Nepal Premier League recently complained they were asked to pay a USD 25,000 fee to obtain Pakistani players. Only two Pakistani players — Hussain Talat and Jahandad Khan — were able to appear in the Nepal League even though franchises had initially signed around 8-10 Pakistani players.

Players who travelled to Nepal were unable to play after the NOC issue remained unresolved, one source close to an affected player said. "Few players even reached there on their own expenses but returned without playing after the NOC issue remained unresolved," the source added, describing the immediate consequences for those contracted by franchises abroad.

The PCB has also demanded a USD 25,000 NOC fee per player from other competitions, franchise and industry sources said, naming the Major League in the USA and the International T20 in the Emirates. "This is why the issue of charging a NOC fee has been floated," a source in the PCB said. Players expressed frustration: "Yes players who appear in the domestic tournaments get paid fees and allowances but given not all of us are going to be selected for the national teams these smaller leagues are our lifeline to earn more," one first-class player said on Thursday, while another player, who declined to be named, said: "They are a number of smaller leagues happening around the world and this NOC condition means we will suffer because these smaller leagues can't afford to pay the PCB NOC fees and also our fees."

With the Abu Dhabi T10 due to start on Saturday, organisers and franchises are continuing efforts to replace the Pakistani players whose participation was blocked by the PCB's NOC fee demand.