CSA T20 League: IPL team owners in CSA & UAE T20 League declare ‘Pakistan players not welcome’: Check WHY?
CSA T20 League: Pakistani Players in Foreign Leagues: Days after the Pakistan Cricket Board restricted players to three NOCs a year, they are facing a significant setback as a result of their participation in the CSA T20 League.
The likes of Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi are likely to be left out in the cold by IPL clubs that also have teams competing in the UAE T20 League and the South Africa T20 League. The owners of IPL teams have declined to sign any Pakistani players because they are concerned about backlash from cricket fans in India, in addition to the difficulty of signing Pakistani players.
“No, we are not taking any Pakistani players into consideration. The Pakistani players have an extremely challenging path ahead of them to navigate. To begin, a difficult dialogue with the board is required in order to get them on board and permit them to NOC.
The subsequent consequence of it is the backlash. An official for a franchise that has teams competing in leagues in both the United Arab Emirates and South Africa said, “I don’t think any supporters in India will be thrilled with them playing for us.”
Why IPL franchisees don’t want to sign Pakistani players from the CSA T20 League?
IPL franchisees are aware of the potential for negative fan reactions in India.
The difficulty with NOC is another obstacle that must be overcome in order to successfully recruit players from Pakistan.
In addition to the PSL, PCB grants Babar Azam and Company three NOCs each and every year.
This is the reason why Babar Azam was overlooked during the draught for The Hundred.
Due to the fact that the PSL is going to be played directly after the UAE T20 League and that it might conflict with the CSA T20 league, the PCB might not provide them with NOC.
Nevertheless, the Glazers family-backed team in the UAE League is in the process of negotiating contracts with Pakistani players at this time.
“It’s an investment, and there’s a lot riding on the outcome of every company’s ventures. Nobody would intentionally do anything to damage the feelings of the clients. In this particular instance, Indian fans constitute the majority of our clientele. We have come to the conclusion that we would not seek any Pakistani talent. However, playing against some of the most talented athletes in the world is not in our best interest.”
Instead, Indian franchises have approached the BCCI with a plea to open the door for uncontracted Indian players to participate in franchise leagues outside of India. In both the UAE and South Africa T20 Leagues, participation is open to players who do not have any central or state contracts. However, a decision in this regard will not be made until the annual general meeting of the BCCI, which will take place in September.
IPL franchises in international leagues:
Mumbai Indians: CSA T20 League, UAE T20 League
Kolkata Knight Riders: Caribbean Premier League, UAE T20 League, USA
Rajasthan Royals: CSA T20 League, CPL
Lucknow Super Giants: CSA T20 League
Delhi Capitals: UAE T20 League, CSA T20 League
Punjab Kings: CPL
Sunrisers Hyderabad: CSA T20 League
Chennai Super Kings: CSA T20 League
Read More: Cricket’s T20 franchise competitions on unprecedented