Several Pakistani cricketers are yet to receive No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the Abu Dhabi T10 League 2026, according to a report by Geo Super, raising uncertainty over their participation in the tournament scheduled to begin on November 7.
The situation has been complicated by the PCB’s reported demand of USD 10,000 per player for overseas league clearance. The Abu Dhabi T10 competition has reportedly declined to pay the amount, leaving players responsible for covering the fee themselves if they wish to participate.
With the tournament approaching, franchises have urged their Pakistani signings to secure the necessary approvals. Players who fail to obtain clearance could be replaced in their respective squads.
PCB’s NOC fee creates uncertainty for franchises
The dispute comes ahead of the Abu Dhabi T10 League’s tenth edition, which will run from November 7 to 20 and feature six franchises following a change in the tournament’s ownership.
The participating teams are UAE Bulls, Yas Lions, Royal Desert Champions, Emirates Eagles, United Tigers and Arabian Aces.
Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman was signed directly by United Tigers, while several other Pakistani players secured contracts through the September 30 player draft in Abu Dhabi.
United Tigers also recruited Abbas Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Iftikhar Ahmed and Faheem Ashraf. UAE Bulls assembled a Pakistani contingent featuring Shadab Khan, Azam Khan, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Khushdil Shah and Khawaja Nafay.
Naseem Shah joined Royal Desert Champions, while Salman Irshad was selected by Arabian Aces. Emirates Eagles signed Hasan Nawaz, Akif Javed and Ali Raza.
Similar PCB demands affected other overseas leagues
The Abu Dhabi T10 dispute follows previous disagreements involving the PCB’s clearance requirements for Pakistani players participating in international franchise competitions.
Organisers of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) recently alleged that the PCB had demanded USD 25,000 per player for NOCs. Several cricketers, including Pakistan T20I Captain Sahibzada Farhan, Haider Ali, Hunain Shah, Iftikhar Ahmed and Hasan Ali, were affected by delays in obtaining permission.
Some players had already travelled to Kathmandu, while others suspended their travel arrangements as they awaited clearance.
Major League Cricket (MLC) franchises previously raised similar concerns over a reported USD 25,000-per-player requirement, as previously reported by cricexec. Franchise owners alleged that the fee had not been communicated during recruitment and was introduced when securing replacement players had become difficult.
Haris Rauf, who represented San Francisco Unicorns, was the only Pakistani player to participate in that MLC season after his franchise agreed to cover the payment. MLC officials also alleged that attempts to contact PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi about the matter went unanswered.
PCB’s proposed T20 specialist contracts remain pending
Naqvi subsequently announced plans for a separate contract category covering T20 specialists, under which eligible players would not require NOCs to participate in overseas leagues.
However, those contracts have yet to be distributed, leaving the existing clearance process relevant to Pakistani players seeking overseas franchise opportunities.
The PCB has not publicly commented on the latest Abu Dhabi T10 fee dispute.
The affected players now face the possibility of missing the competition unless the necessary clearances are secured before their scheduled participation.
