Haris forced to return to Pakistan, leaves BPL
PCB decline to issue him NOC
Monday, 22 January 2024
Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris has left Dhaka without taking part in the 2024 Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) declined to issue him a no-objection certificate (NOC), according to Pakistan's Sports channel Geo Super.
Haris had arrived in Dhaka with the intention of representing Chattogram Challengers in the BPL's 10th edition.
However, his request for an NOC was denied by the PCB, due to his participation in two leagues since July 2023 as the reason. He played in Canada's Global T20 League in July and in the Lanka Premier League in August of 2023.
The 22-year-old shared a story on Instagram, announcing his return. Haris shared a photograph disclosing his packed bags and the intended travel route back to Peshawar.
Earlier, PCB announced that they have granted NOC to feature in the forthcoming franchise-based leagues.
As per the cricket board, the NOCs were issued in line with the provisions of the players' central contracts.
"The decision was made in the best interests of all the stakeholders involved while balancing the importance of game time with workload management," the statement added. Both leagues started on January 19.
Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Waseem Jr, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Qadir, and many other Pakistan stars are part of different BPL teams.
Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan, Mohammad Amir (all Desert Vipers), and Imad Wasim (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders) will play ILT20.
Cricketers, who were part of the T20s in New Zealand, will fly to play in their respective leagues tomorrow.
As per sources, pacers Ihsanullah, Naseem Shah, and Mohammad Hasnain were not given NOCs keeping the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and T20 World Cup in mind.
Meanwhile, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris and Iftikhar Ahmed didn't get NOC for BPL. Their NOCs are on hold as they have played two leagues since July 2023. Players who have contracts in ILT20 are exempted from this requirement since they were signed by the franchises before the central contracts.