The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has declined No Objection Certificates (NOC) to major centrally-contracted players, including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi for the fourth edition of Global T20 Canada, starting July 25. The decision comes after Naseem Shah’s NOC appeal was also rejected for the Men’s Hundred starting July 23. The young gun must pass on a whooping GBP 125,000 for the Birmingham Phoenix.
“The PCB had received NOC requests from Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi for the Global T20 event, amongst other players. After taking into consideration Pakistan’s busy and packed cricket calendar in the period from August 2024 to March 2025, which includes nine ICC World Test Championship matches and next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and following consultations with the three players as well as the national selection committee, it has been decided to decline their requests,” the PCB statement read.
Busy Schedule Ahead
Pakistan have a busy nine-month schedule from August 2024 to March 2025 as they are slated to play nine Tests, 14 ODIs, and nine T20Is in this space. The Men in Green will welcome Bangladesh and England in August and October for two and three Tests, respectively. Subsequently, they are scheduled to fly to Australia for three ODIs and as many T20Is in October before three T20Is and ODIs against South Africa to lead up to a couple of red-ball contests including the ‘Boxing Day Test’. 
Pakistan’s journey doesn’t just conclude here as West Indies will travel the Asian nation for a couple of Tests after New Year, followed by a Tri-Nation series with New Zealand and South Africa leading up to the Champions Trophy 2025. Their hectic schedule stops after a bilateral series against New Zealand in March-April, where they play five T20Is and three ODIs.
The Global T20 Canada is slated to begin on July 25 and continue until August 11. With a packed calendar in front, PCB’s decision to deny NOC to its all-format players seemed quite justified.
“The three are all-format cricketers, and their services are expected to be required in the upcoming eight months, during which Pakistan will play nine Tests, 14 ODIs, and nine T20Is. As such, and in line with the PCB’s workload management policy, it is in the best interest of Pakistan Cricket and the players that they skip the upcoming event in Canada so that they are in their best mental and physical shape for the season, which commences with the two-Test series against Bangladesh,” the statement further expressed.
However, the governing body have allowed some white-ball cricketers to play in other foreign leagues. Asif Ali, Muhammad Nawaz, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Mohammad Amir will participate in the Hundred and GT20 2024.
