England Players In Afghanistan Premier League Despite Blocking Bilateral Cricket

ECB to provide NOCs for APL [Source: AFP]In a significant development ahead of the of the Afghanistan Premier League (APL 2026), England stars are increasingly likely to take part in the tournament. This is after recent reports of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s stance on their players’ participation surfaced in the media.The ECB have previously been very critical of the Afghanistan regime and how the women are treated in the country. Hence, England have refrained from playing any bilateral cricket against the Asians.The board chairman, Richard Thompson, also publicly spoke about these issues earlier in 2026, raising questions over Englishmen’s participation in APL.ECB to allow England players for APLOver the years, the ECB have had a firm stance when it comes to playing Afghanistan. They were also tipped to withdraw from their most recent clash against the opponent in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, but the match eventually went as scheduled.As things stand, England and Australia are the only ICC Full Member nations who have never played Afghanistan in a bilateral match across three formats. Women's safety and human rights violations in the region have been the major issues that have drawn attention in their relations.Nonetheless, according to Cricinfo, the ECB has given the green light to the players, who are willing to participate in the newest T20 competition, beginning on December 27.Also Read: List Of Highest Successful Run-Chases In ODIsWhich England players could participate in APL?The Afghanistan Premier League, which will be played from December 27, will overlap with England’s international calendar. England are scheduled to tour South Africa in December, right after their Australia tour ends.During the APL days, England will play the Boxing Day Test at Centurion, followed by the New Year’s Test in Cape Town, beginning from January 3. This will be followed by the white-ball leg of the series to be played till January 15.Looking at the international calendar, the marquee English stars are unlikely to be available for the competition. Some players could also opt for rest and recovery after the white-ball tours of Pakistan and Australia, ending in December.As per the list, Ollie Pope and Luke Wood are the only ECB-contracted players who have registered alongside second-string stars like James Vince, Moeen Ali, Jason Roy, Reece Topley, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Laurie Evans. The players’ draft will take place on October 24.Also Read: WCL 2026 Schedule, Teams, Squads, India Squad List, Live Streaming, Live Telecast, Venues