UAE, Pakistan players clash in CSA league
With UAE and South African league franchises allowed to sign players of their choice outside of the auction/draft, the big question emerging from the arrangement is whether any Pakistani players have been signed. Or will they ever?
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that it is yet to issue NOCs to its players for foreign leagues, including the Big Bash League (BBL), but it is still a matter of speculation how many Pakistani players will eventually make it to the squad. Two new league final squads.
“The PCB has not yet considered the issuance of NOCs to players. Currently, it is reviewing player disclosure requests for the BBL and ILT20 (UAE League) draft. Issuance of NOCs is the second step in the process,” PCB said in a statement on Wednesday (August 3). Still haven’t received any request from CSA for his league.”
The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), the host of the ILT20, has allowed its six franchises to sign players of their choice without affecting the financial slab and overall salary cap ($2 million). The ECB will conduct a draft or an AUDRA (a hybrid version combining auction and draft) after the signing exercise is complete.
But with five of the six franchises owned by Indian investors, the question has always been whether any of them would prefer Pakistani players. At least three party officials have revealed to the website that they are not looking at the Pakistan option. The general perception is that a franchise owned by the Glazer family (of Manchester United fame) would be the only management interested in Pakistani players. The franchise, with Tom Moody as its director of cricket, may even try to rope in Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi. But so far it has not been implemented.
PCB’s statement indicated that. Without naming names, the PCB said, “In July, the PCB received a request for two central contracted players for the ILT 20. On July 26, the PCB informed the player agent that the NOC approval was subject to the two players’ workload and participation in the international series against New Zealand and West Indies. which overlaps with ILT20.”
Meanwhile, the Emirates board has ruled that each team can have a squad of 18 players, including 12 foreigners, four local UAE players and two allied nations. The playing eleven must have at least two UAE players.
The situation is more complicated in the CSA league. Cricket South Africa (CSA) officials say they are open to the participation of Pakistani players but are a bit uneasy with six franchises under the ownership of IPL teams. CSA has signed more than 30 foreign players including England, West Indies and Sri Lanka. New Zealand also have one player, but no players from Pakistan have been signed yet. A league official contacted did not rule out the possibility of going forward.
The CSA said franchisees can sign up to four players with an overriding condition that one of them must be a South African. The remaining three may be foreigners but not more than two from the same country. The league has capped the squad size at 17 with 10 locals and seven foreigners. As in the IPL, a maximum of four foreigners can be in the playing eleven with a salary cap of $2 million. An auction may be held in September, when one knows how many from Pakistan will be considered.