The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday cancelled all the No Objection Certificates (NOCs) issued to its players for participation in the third edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The decision by the board means that no Pakistani player can now participate in tournament even if the franchises sign them as substitutes.
“All NOCs issued to Pakistani players for their participation in IPL 3 stand revoked. In the future if any player receives an invitation for participation in IPL events, PCB will decide the matter on a case-to-case basis after consulting the relevant government authorities,” the PCB said in a statement.
The board has issued NOCs to total 26 players, including Shahid Afridi, Imran Nazir, Abdul Razzaq, Saeed Ajmal, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Muhammad Amir, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanveer, Rana Naveed and Misbah-ul-Haq.
A spokesman for the Pakistan Sports Ministry also said that in future if any Pakistani player gets an offer to play in the IPL, he would have to approach the PCB and seek fresh NOCs from relevant ministries including security clearance and approval from Foreign Ministry, The Dawn reports.
The decision came after unconfirmed reports suggested that all-rounder Adbul Razzaq was approached by Kolkata Knight Riders and Deccan Chargers.
Earlier, 11 Pakistani players were ignored by all the franchises at the player auction for the tournament held in Mumbai. The snub had created uproar in Pakistan, which seemed to have been affecting the ties between both the countries.
