The Pakistan Cricket Board is yet to take a policy decision on whether to let its players compete in the Bangladesh Premier League early next year even though the deadline to issue No Objection Certificates for the event has passed. Although the deadline set by the Bangladesh Cricket Board for players to send NOCs of their respective boards passed two days back, the PCB has still not issued NOCs to any player.
“We will soon take a policy decision on permitting players to play in the BPL as presently we are dealing with other more important issues like the tour to India,” a Board official said on condition of anonymity. The players auction for the next BPL season is also due to be held on December 19. In the inaugural season of the BPL, held in February this year, around 20 players from Pakistan represented the franchises and their presence ensured the standard of the league was lifted considerably.
A well-placed PCB source confirmed that the Board was also waiting to see when the BCB would confirm dates for its outstanding tour to Pakistan. “The PCB is also concerned because of the pay disputes that arose between players and franchises this year,” the source said. The PCB was miffed when the BCB, after first confirming a short tour to play two matches in Lahore in April this year, didn’t come citing an order of the Dhaka High Court that issued an injunction against Bangladesh players coming here because of security concerns. Coincidentally, BCB President Nazmul Hassan told the ‘Cricinfo’ that his board is in talks with the PCB about a short tour to the country next month. “We can’t go in December so we will speak to the PCB today, about whether we can fit in a small tour before the BPL,” Hassan said. In November, Hassan had said that the BCB had made a “written commitment” to the PCB to go ahead with the tour.
