Mohammad Amir is likely to register for the IPL 2027 auction after taking up citizenship in the United Kingdom. The former Pakistan left-arm fast bowler has registered for the Afghanistan Premier League (APL) player draft as a United Kingdom national following his acquisition of British citizenship, potentially sidestepping the need for a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), as per a report in Cricbuzz.
The draft takes place on Tuesday, 3 November, in Dubai, ahead of the league’s return later this year. Amir, who last represented Pakistan at the 2024 T20 World Cup, lives in England and obtained British citizenship in May 2026 through his marriage to UK citizen and lawyer Narjis Khan. He has since featured as a domestic player for Nottinghamshire in the Vitality Blast and appeared in The Hundred. In the APL draft register, he is listed in the Platinum category, the highest tier, with the United Kingdom noted in connection with his status, while Pakistan remains referenced as his country of residence in some documents.
Mohammad Amir to enter IPL 2027 Auction? Ex-PAK pacer registers for APL draft as UK national amid PCB's stance on NOCs
The key advantage of registering as a UK national is that Amir may not require an NOC from the PCB. This contrasts with the position of other Pakistani players. Reports indicate that more than 30 Pakistani cricketers, including Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub, have also put their names forward for the draft. However, the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s auction register explicitly states that the availability of Pakistan players is subject to receiving NOCs from the PCB.
A PCB spokesperson has poured cold water on the prospect of such clearances. “I don’t think so,” the official told Cricbuzz, reflecting the diplomatic tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. There have been suggestions that NOCs for the APL have already faced rejection in light of the strained relations across the Durand Line.
Meanwhile, the APL is set to feature five franchises representing Afghan provinces: Kandahar (captained by Rashid Khan), Balkh (Ibrahim Zadran), Kabul (Azmatullah Omarzai), Paktia (Rahmat Shah) and Nangarhar (Rahmanullah Gurbaz). Organisers shortlisted approximately 462 players from around 1,500 registrants across Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver and Emerging categories. Squads will generally include a core of local players with a limited number of overseas recruits. The tournament itself is scheduled to begin on 27 December 2026 in the United Arab Emirates.
Beyond the APL, Amir’s British passport has wider implications for his franchise career. It is widely anticipated that he will also seek to register for the IPL auction as a UK national. There is clear precedent: Azhar Mahmood, another Pakistan-origin player with a British passport, featured in the IPL between 2012 and 2015 for Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders despite restrictions on Pakistani nationals. Amir’s change in status has already altered his classification in English domestic cricket, where he no longer counts as an overseas player, and is expected to reclassify him as an overseas signing in the Pakistan Super League.
Other notable names in the APL pool include former India internationals Vijay Shankar, KS Bharat and Murugan Ashwin, who have registered in the Gold category after retiring from higher forms of the game. The presence of such experienced overseas talent, alongside high-profile Afghan stars, underlines the ACB’s ambition to establish a competitive T20 league that can attract global attention and provide opportunities for Afghan players.
Amir’s decision highlights the increasingly fluid nature of player nationality and eligibility in modern franchise cricket. After a career that included significant success in the PSL and other leagues, the left-armer has shifted focus to opportunities available through his British citizenship. Whether he is selected in the Dubai draft remains to be seen, but his registration alone has drawn attention to the practical and political barriers facing Pakistani players seeking to compete in Afghan competitions. The draft will determine the initial squads, after which franchises will finalise their line-ups ahead of the December start.
For Amir, participation in the APL would represent another chapter in a career defined by both on-field skill and off-field complications. For the PCB and Pakistani players, the board’s firm stance on NOCs signals that diplomatic considerations continue to shape access to certain overseas leagues. The coming days will clarify how many of the registered Pakistani names ultimately make it into the competition and whether Amir’s UK route proves a successful path for others in similar situations. As the APL prepares for its latest edition in the UAE, the involvement of a high-profile name such as Amir, even under altered nationality status, adds intrigue to what organisers hope will be a successful revival of Afghanistan’s premier T20 tournament.
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