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PCB reverses NOC ban, allowing Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan to play in the 2025-26 Big Bash League.
Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam will be part of the BBL 2025-26 season (Picture Credit: AFP)
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly reversed its controversial decision to deny the No-Objection Certificates (NOC) to its national men’s players, which effectively banned them from participating in any overseas franchise leagues. Now, according to SEN radio, stalwarts like Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan will be able to participate in the 2025-26 Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia.
PCB’s decision on the NOCs came days after Pakistan’s loss in the 2025 Asia Cup final against India. It was seen as a direct result of the match, despite the likes of Babar and Rizwan not even being part of the squad. Cricket Australia (CA) saw it as a huge blow — they had already done a lot of their marketing and season build-up with Pakistani faces on posters — and reached out to the counterparts in Pakistan to reconsider the call.
“About three weeks ago the Pakistan Cricket Board emailed agents of star players to tell them no objections certificates would be on hold,” Australian journalist Tom Morris told SEN.
“Pakistan – like India – would not allow its players to play in the Big Bash or any franchise league outside of the country. This rocked the Big Bash, it rocked Cricket Australia with seven of the eight clubs having one Pakistan player,” he said. “I’ve done more digging and I understand CA reached to the PCB on the issues and now they have clarified that these seven players will be allowed to play in the BBL and there is no material change.”
“How it transpired behind the scenes? We might never know, but what we do know is the stars can play this summer. Imagine getting an email on September 29 to say they can’t play this season – absolute panic stations. Crisis averted.”
Afridi, Rizwan, and Rauf were the most popular selections at the BBL overseas drafts, with Afridi selected No. 1 overall. Meanwhile, the Sydney Sixers have launched a special fan zone named ‘Babaristan’ to welcome Babar Azam to the team and celebrate South Asian culture at their grounds.
The BBL season begins on December 14 with the final on January 25.
October 25, 2025, 11:04 IST
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