PCB Takes A U-Turn; Set To Revoke Sahibzada Farhan's NOC

Sahibzada Farhan and Mohsin Naqvi - (Source: AFP)

On July 3, the PCB had granted NOCs to 14 Pakistan players to feature in franchise cricket across the globe. Other than that, Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat were granted special NOCs for the Caribbean Premier League.

This year, the Mohsin Naqvi-led board has been hard on its players as the process to obtain an NOC is tougher than ever. The board already has a rule in place that a centrally contracted player can feature in just two overseas leagues other than the PSL. 

PCB To Revoke Sahibzada Farhan's NOC

In the latest developments, the PCB might revoke Sahibzada Farhan’s NOC for the CPL. The right-handed batter was granted permission to take part in Lanka Premier League and the Caribbean Premier League, but now it seems that Farhan will only be allowed to play the LPL, which begins on July 17.

According to Pakistan journalist Au Rangzeb Younis, PCB will organise a domestic four-day camp in August, which will be a fifty-over tournament. The aim is to assemble a pool of cricketers and then select the top 20-30 players who will be in the scheme of things for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which is less than 18 months away.

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For the unversed, the 14th edition of Caribbean Premier League will begin on August 7 and end on September 20. It is still not clear whether the PCB will revoke the NOC for the entire tournament or allow the players to travel after the domestic camp ends.

Why Is PCB’s Domestic Camp Important For Sahibzada Farhan?

Sahibzada Farhan has already cemented his place in Pakistan’s T20I team and also justified his place during the 2026 T20 World Cup. The Men in Green had a poor run, but the right-handed batter scored 383 runs in 6 innings, averaging 76.60.

However, Sahibzada Farhan has failed to replicate his T20I heroics in ODIs. In the fifty-over format, the 30-year-old has scored just 101 runs in 6 innings, averaging just 16.83. Therefore, the upcoming camp is important for Farhan to prove to the selectors that he can shine in ODIs as well.

Why Is PCB Hosting A Domestic Tournament Ahead Of ODI World Cup

It is long overdue for Pakistan to perform well in an ODI World Cup. The Men in Green suffered humiliation during the 2023 ODI World Cup when they failed to qualify past the first round. Therefore, the PCB is looking to avoid the embarrassment and prepare before hand.

There is still 16 months left, and the upcoming camp will give them a fair share of idea to shortlist the players for the marquee event.

Maaz Sadaqat, Saim Ayub Also To Miss CPL Due To PCB’s Camp

Not just Sahibzada Farhan, but Saim Ayub, Sufiyan Muqeem, Saad Masood, Usman Khan, and Salman Irshad will also miss the Caribbean Premier League. Notably, the PCB want players to prioritise national commitment over franchise cricket.

It also means that the above mentioned players are in PCB’s plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup, and in case the players opt for franchise cricket, then it would upset the Mohsin Naqvi-led board.

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