Babar, Shaheen, Rizwan brace for setback ahead of GT20 Canada

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has currently withheld the issuance of No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for several key players, including the team’s skipper Babar Azam, star pacer Shaheen Afridi, and wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan, regarding their participation in the Global T20 Canada League. The PCB has sought clarification from the International Cricket Council (ICC) about the tournament's affiliation before making a final decision on the NOCs.

This move follows requests from several players seeking permission to play in various international cricket leagues. While some players received their NOCs for participation in different leagues, including Major League Cricket, Caribbean Premier League, County Cricket, and others, the decision regarding the participation of Babar, Shaheen, and Rizwan in the Global T20 Canada League remains pending.

Here is a list of Pakistani players who have been issued NOCs and the respective leagues they will be participating in:

- **Abrar Ahmed** – Major League Cricket
- **Fakhar Zaman** – Caribbean Premier League
- **Haris Rauf** – Major League Cricket
- **Mohammad Amir** – County Cricket
- **Mohammad Haris** – Lanka Premier League
- **Mohammad Hasnain** – Lanka Premier League
- **Salman Ali Agha** – Lanka Premier League
- **Shadab Khan** – Lanka Premier League
- **Sharjeel Khan** – World Championship of Legends
- **Sohaib Maqsood** – World Championship of Legends
- **Usama Mir** – The Hundred
- **Zaman Khan** – Major League Cricket

In the Global T20 Canada League, the following Pakistani players have been picked by various franchises:

- **Babar Azam**, **Asif Ali**, **Mohammad Amir**, and **Mohammad Rizwan** – Vancouver Knights
- **Shaheen Afridi** and **Mohammad Nawaz** – Toronto Nationals
- **Iftikhar Ahmed** – Bangla Tigers Mississauga

The final decision regarding their participation will be made after the ICC's response to the PCB's inquiry.