Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf face PCB heat: Mohsin Naqvi stops cash flow for Pakistan players ‘until further orders’

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), helmed by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, has “punished” its players after the Asia Cup 2025 final. Pakistan lost to India for the third time in the tournament even though the final was the most balanced of them all.

The PCB has suspended all No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for players wanting to join overseas T20 leagues. The decision, approved by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, was confirmed on September 29. COO Sumair Ahmad Syed sent a notice to players and agents.

No official reason was provided, but reports suggest the board plans to link NOCs to player performance at national and domestic levels. The details of this proposed system have not been shared, and there is no timeline for when the suspension will end.

The step is seen as a way to push players to prioritise domestic and international cricket for Pakistan. The sudden move has created uncertainty for cricketers who regularly feature in global leagues.

"With the approval of Chairman PCB, all No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for players with respect to participation in leagues and other out-of-country tournaments are hereby put on hold until further orders," says the notice, seen by ESPNcricinfo.

PCB stops cash flow for several Pakistani players

PCB’s latest decision will clearly stop the cash flow for the Pakistani cricketers, who are banned from the IPL, the richest cricket league in the world.

The Big Bash League (BBL) 2025 will feature strong Pakistani representation with seven players taking part. Leading the group are Shaheen Shah Afridi (Brisbane Heat) and Babar Azam (Sydney Sixers). Both are in the Platinum category.

Mohammad Rizwan, also Platinum, will make his debut in the T20 cricket league in Australia with the Melbourne Renegades.

Haris Rauf, another Platinum pick, has been retained by the Melbourne Stars. All four are expected to earn as much as AUD 500,000 (nearly ₹3 crore).

In the Gold category, Hasan Ali will play for the Adelaide Strikers, Shadab Khan for the Sydney Thunder and Hassan Khan for the Melbourne Renegades. Their estimated salaries are about AUD 300,000 ( ₹1.75 crore).

Among these players, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf played in the Asia Cup 2025. Hasan Ali and Shadab Khan were part of the full squad. However, they did not play any matches. Babar and Rizwan did not make it to Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025 squad.

Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub and Naseem Shah are up for the ILT20 auctions on October 1. While Naseem was not a part of Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025 squad, Fakhar and Saim played the final against India.

The BBL in Australia and the International League T20 in the United Arab Emirates are set to start in December.