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The upcoming Global T20 Canada League is scheduled to run from July 25 to August 11. However, with less than a week left until the tournament kicks off, uncertainties loom over whether the league will proceed as planned this year.
Among the players eagerly anticipated in the league are Pakistan’s cricket stars Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Nawaz, and Mohammad Amir. Despite their participation being confirmed, they are still awaiting the necessary NOCs (No Objection Certificates) from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
PCB explains reasons for delay in issuing NOCs to star Pakistan players.
Reports indicate that the Global T20 Canada League is currently awaiting approval from the International Cricket Council (ICC), and a decision on this matter is anticipated soon. Sources suggest that one of the outstanding issues delaying approval is related to unpaid dues owed by the tournament organizers to both Cricket Canada and the ICC.
Star Pakistani cricketers Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz have joined the Toronto Nationals, while Mohammad Rizwan has been named captain of the Vancouver Knights, where he will be joined by Babar Azam and Mohammad Amir.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has attributed the delay in issuing NOCs to its players to the ICC’s pending approval of the league. Additionally, the PCB is contemplating a policy aimed at limiting players’ participation in overseas leagues to better manage their workload.
In another development, there are unconfirmed reports of suspicious activities involving an Indian team owner, currently under investigation. Details on this matter remain scarce, with a decision expected in the coming days. The ICC has refrained from commenting on the controversy thus far.
Pakistan cricket is currently facing a challenging period.
Pakistan’s cricket team has faced significant challenges recently, marked by their early exit from the T20 World 2024 tournament. The Men in Green experienced unexpected setbacks against the USA and India, both matches ending in defeats that dashed their hopes of advancing from the group stage.
In their match against the USA, despite being favored to win against a less experienced team, Pakistan faltered in the Super Over. Against India, they surrendered a promising position and narrowly lost by just 6 runs. Despite ending the league stage with victories over Canada and Ireland, Pakistan’s efforts fell short of securing a spot in the Super 8 stage, while the USA made history by advancing for the first time.
Following their premature exit, Pakistan’s team and players faced sharp criticism from fans and former experts within the country. Calls for a complete overhaul of the team were voiced, urging senior players to make way for new talent. In particular, there were strong sentiments for Babar Azam to step down from the captaincy. Despite being Pakistan’s top run-scorer in the tournament with 122 runs in four innings, his strike rate of 101.66 sparked debates about his adaptability to the demands of modern T20 cricket.
