The Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to limit the number of overseas T20 leagues in which centrally contracted players can compete during the year, as conflicts between the players and the board over several contract terms continue.
Injuries to fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf, as well as other pacers such as Muhammad Hasnain, Ehsanaullah, and Hasan Ali before the World Cup, forced the PCB to adopt a firm stance, even though the players' new central contracts have yet to be signed.
Zaka Ashraf, the current head of the PCB's Cricket Management Committee, informed Pakistani media in Colombo that players with A-Plus and A contracts would be limited to playing in one T20 league in addition to the Pakistan Super League.
He also stated that the board will have the ability to withdraw or cancel any NOC it has provided to a player for a foreign league if it believes it would be damaging to Pakistan cricket's interests.
Injuries have plagued Pakistan in the run-up to the World Cup in India.
"The players want to be compensated if this situation evolves," he said.
Naseem has been ruled out of the World Cup, and the others are also struggling with fitness.
Hasan Ali suffered a thumb fracture while playing in the Lanka Premier League.
Also, before the Asia Cup this year, PCB stunned everyone by awarding NOCs to players from other leagues such as The Hundred, LPL, Canada Global League, Caribbean Premier League, and others.
Many former players and analysts are now accusing the PCB of failing to manage the players' workload before the Asia Cup and World Cup.
A PCB source also informed PTI that under the new central contracts, which have been postponed since the end of June, the board has included terms stating that elite players would not be handed NOCs two months before any premier tournament or bilateral series.
The contract problem has not been settled because the players' agents advised them to reject various provisions included by the PCB.
One provision states that players must obtain authorization from the board before submitting their names for any T20 draft.
Second, athletes will be required to obtain clearance before signing any commercial/endorsement deals and will be required to offer five to six hours to the board's official sponsors for commercials, promotions, and endorsements.
Zaka told the media that the contracts would be published soon and that the board has made significant improvements in monthly retainers, match costs, and other areas for players to encourage them to focus more on Pakistan cricket.
(With PTI inputs)
