Pakistani star cricketer Mohammad Haris had to return from Dhaka Airport to Pakistan after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) declined to issue him a No Objection Certificate (NOC), for participating in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2024. Reports suggest that the PCB withheld the NOC because Haris had already played in two domestic T20 leagues since July, exceeding the limit set by the board's policy. Haris was to represent Chattogram Challengers in the BPL 2024.
Undeterred by board's regulations, Haris flew to Dhaka. The PCB, however, stood by its decision and did not issue the NOC. They also informed Haris that they would not cover his return flight costs. The 22-year-old's BPL team, Chattogram Challengers, stepped in to arrange his return ticket.
Mohammad Haris, upon returning home in Pakistan, posted an Instagram story, showing his packed bags.
As per the PCB, they cancelled his NOC as Haris had already played for Surrey Jaguars in GT20 Canada and B-Love Kandy in the Lanka Premier League (LPL).
"The decision was made in the best interests of all the stakeholders involved while balancing the importance of game time with workload management," a statement from the PCB read.
Haris Among Several Pakistani Cricketers Denied NOC by PCB
Notably, Haris isn't the only Pakistani player who failed to obtain an NOC from the PCB. Other cricketers, including Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Saim Ayub, and Zaman Khan, were also set to participate in BPL 2024 but were ultimately unable to due to the PCB not granting them the NOC.
Regarding Haris, his last appearance for Pakistan was during the Asia Cup 2023, after which he was dropped from the national team. While some players like Haris missed out on BPL 2024, others such as Babar Azam, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Mohammad Rizwan, Abbas Afridi, and former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik are participating in the tournament.
Talking about Pakistan's recent performance, they suffered a series loss against New Zealand followed by a clean sweep defeat by Australia in a three-match Test series. The Men in Green will not engage in international cricket until May 2024, as the players will be participating in the Pakistan Super League, starting February 17. In May 2024, Pakistan is scheduled to play a four-match T20I series against England, a crucial preparation ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. The team aims to return to top form before the commencement of this major T20 event, which begins on June 1 and will be co-hosted by the West Indies and the USA.
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