The participation of Pakistani cricket players in the Abu Dhabi T10 League 2026 has come under doubt after a dispute between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the league organisers.
Many Pakistani players have been selected for participating in the 10th edition of the league by different franchises, but their participation is now doubtful due to the approaching league.
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The matter is all about the No-Object Certificates (NOCs), which the players need to play in overseas leagues.
Some renowned Pakistani names are included in those who are yet to receive their NOCs.
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Will Pakistan players feature in Abu Dhabi T10 League 2026?
As of November 5, Pakistani players do not have the necessary NOCs from the PCB, which raises doubts about their participation in Abu Dhabi T10 League 2026.
As per ESPNcricinfo, the PCB is asking for $10,000 (around ₹9 lakh) for each player’s NOC. The franchises supposedly made their applications almost immediately after the September 30 draft, while the fee has been communicated to the franchises in early November.
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While the franchises have been considering the possibility of mediation, the issue has apparently not been sorted out yet. It is said that some players would even be willing to pay the fee themselves if the franchise fails to do so.
Given that the tournament is set to begin from November 7, franchises have started thinking of alternative players in case the dispute is not sorted out.
The feud is happening soon after another such incident of the Nepal Premier League where the PCB asked for $25,000 per player NOC.
Which Pakistan players were selected for Abu Dhabi T10 League 2026?
In total, there were 16 players from Pakistan who were chosen in five out of six franchises in the upcoming season. While Yas Lions are the only side without any Pakistani players, Fakhar Zaman was selected by United Tigers directly, and the rest were chosen through the draft on September 30.
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The franchise-wise list is as follows:
|
Franchise |
Pakistan players |
|
Arabian Aces |
Salman Irshad |
|
Emirates Eagles |
Hasan Nawaz, Akif Javed, Ali Raza |
|
Royal Desert Champions |
Naseem Shah |
|
UAE Bulls |
Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Khawaja Nafay, Khushdil Shah, Azam Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jr. |
|
United Tigers |
Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Abbas Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem |
What is the PCB’s NOC policy for overseas leagues?
The PCB stipulates that centrally contracted players need to get NOCs prior to appearing in franchise leagues outside the country. The board takes into account the player’s engagements and workload in determining their NOCs.
According to the revised central contract system in which the PCB operates, players are classified into four groups based on the allowances granted to play overseas in different formats of the game:
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Group A: Players specialising in red ball cricket.
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Group AB: Players specialising in dual formats.
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Group BC: Players specialising in white ball cricket.
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Group C: Players specialising in T20 cricket.
Players of group C are more flexible in overseas leagues compared to others.
This NOC policy is not associated with participation limits, and the US$10,000 fee requested by Abu Dhabi T10 tournament is another matter altogether.
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When will Abu Dhabi T10 League 2026 begin?
Abu Dhabi T10 League 2026 will take place between November 7 and 20, 2026, at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
This edition will be a new beginning for the league after a change in ownership, as Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub acquire full ownership of the league.
The league features 108 drafted players, including some international superstars.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
