ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided not to release itsplayers for the inaugural season of Afghan Premier League (APL). Thedecision came in response to players’ request to issue them a No ObjectionCertificate (NOC) for the league.

The issue originated last month when the board decided that only retiredplayers would get the NOC for APL.

Many players, who had already signed deals with the APL franchises,demanded PCB to let them participate in the league. But the boardmanagement, under the new boss Ehsan Mani, did not budge from its previousdecision.

This means that now Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Irfan, Kamran Akmal, andIftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Hafeez, Wahab Riaz, and Faheem Ashraf would not bepart of the league.

So who gets to play? So far, former skipper and the star all-rounder ShahidAfridi is the only retired player contacted for the league.

The Afghan Premier League will kick off on October 5 in Sharjah. The finalswould be played on October 21.