The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is going to formulate strict policies regarding workload management for its cricket stars. The board has been cornered after the team’s poor performance in the recent T20 World Cup, where they failed to progress beyond the first round; therefore, ensuring key players remain fit and are ready for forthcoming international matches.
The strong move by the PCB includes the fact that Naseem Shah will not be given a No Objection Certificate for the franchise tournament of The Hundred going on in England. It might ignite tension with high-end players as the PCB will restrict many all-format cricketers from joining upcoming franchise leagues, including GLT20 in Canada.
Babar Azam is Restricted by PCB from Franchise Events
This will mean that multiple high-profile players, including Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, and Babar Azam, will not be authorized to take part in this event. From the PCB’s side, workload management remains the primary driving force.
Although the calendar of such leagues does not clash with Pakistan’s international commitments, the board has insisted on the fitness of the players ahead of back-to-back matches. The national team of Pakistan is soon going to engage in a two-match Test series against Bangladesh, starting on August 21. Given this upcoming commitment, the PCB wants to keep all-format players as fit as possible; therefore, they decided to restrict involvement in franchise events.
The denial of NOCs can have financial implications for the players. For instance, Naseem Shah was expected to earn £125,000 for playing The Hundred, which starts on June 23. The loss from this opportunity, and probably many more rewarding ones, will hurt the concerned players at a time when they look to make as much money as possible by playing franchise leagues.
PCB Restricts Key Players from Franchise Leagues
Not all players will be banned. Usama Mir, who previously was refused an NOC to play the T20 Blast, could be granted permission to play The Hundred, as will Haris Rauf. This sets the scene for a rug to be pulled under players, with discontent already simmering over what many feel is an unfair policy that others will profit from.
These restrictions by the PCB, however, won’t stay restricted to immediate franchise leagues but remain in force from October to May for the crammed calendar of Pakistan. The busy schedule includes home Tests against England, limited-overs series against Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, a Test series in South Africa, and further home series against the West Indies, among others. The board wants to keep all-format players focused and fit during this period.
This comes just a few days after the very early exit of Pakistan from the T20 World Cup, followed by some jolting defeats, one of them by the United States. Immediately after that poor show, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi sent out the feelers for immense changes in the structure of the team, but nothing changed at that moment. The latest developments include the dropping of Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq from the selection committee. These actions show that finally, the board has started strategic alterations since the T20 World Cup debacle towards a more fruitful future direction for the national team.
As the PCB pushes through with these changes, priority remains given to giving Pakistan’s top players adequate preparation for tests in the future. The management of workloads and fitness will be a contributing factor to the improved performance of the teams in international competitions.
The face of cricket in Pakistan has just been changed, and how the players conform to this will be a determining factor in their careers and the success of the team.
