Ollie Pope Amid 3 English Cricketers To Pull Out of Afghanistan Premier League

Ollie Pope Pulls Out of Afghanistan Premier League Draft (Source: AFP)England star batter Ollie Pope has decided not to take part in the upcoming Afghanistan Premier League (APL) T20 draft, after growing criticism of English cricketers considering playing in the tournament.David Willey and Will Smeed have also withdrawn their names ahead of the draft scheduled for October 24.The issue has attracted attention because of the restrictions placed on women and girls in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has not played bilateral cricket against Afghanistan since that year, although the two teams continue to meet in international tournaments.Ollie Pope Withdraws From Afghanistan Premier League DraftAccording to a report by Cricinfo, Ollie Pope decided to withdraw before England director of cricket Rob Key publicly shared his views on the matter on Monday. The decisions by Ollie Pope, David Willey and Will Smeed come at a time when English players are facing questions about whether they should participate in a competition based in Afghanistan.ECB chair Richard Thompson previously described the treatment of women under Taliban rule as ‘gender apartheid’.However, he has acknowledged that preventing players from joining overseas T20 leagues could be difficult from a legal standpoint. Players need an NOC from the ECB to participate in such competitions.ALSO READJos Buttler Undergoes Surgery; Set To Be Out Of Action For Long"Legally, it’s hard to stop players from going over and playing in these competitions. It becomes a moral judgement, and players have to be prepared to take the right moral stance. Personally – and it’s easy for me to say – I wouldn’t go and play in it, but it’s down, really, for the player to make that decision." Rob Key told the BBC’s Test Match Special podcast.Several other English cricketers, including Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali, James Vince and James Rew, have registered for the draft.Dawid Malan Remains Available for APLUnlike Ollie Pope, former England opener Dawid Malan has decided to remain in the running for the Afghanistan Premier League draft. He has defended his decision by pointing to the need for players to earn a living during their limited professional careers.However, he added that he relies on guidance from cricket boards and the ICC when deciding whether to play in overseas competitions.ALSO READPakistan vs Sri Lanka Head To Head Records In T20Is, Sri Lanka Tour Of Pakistan 2026, 3rd T20I