5 Pakistan stars' BPL future in doubt amid National Duty

Top-tier Pakistan cricketers are unlikely to commit to the entire upcoming Bangladesh Premier League season due to national duties.

As per a report from Cricbuzz, the top names of the Pakistan team are likely to miss out a chunk of BPL due to national commitments.

5 Pakistan stars BPL future in doubt amid National Duty

An official closely linked with the franchises explained, "We are aware that they (Pakistani cricketers) are not available for the whole season as they have a series against Sri Lanka in the middle of January, while they are slated to take on Australia at the end of January."

The BPL, which runs from December 26 to January 23, clashes with Pakistan's crucial bilateral fixtures as they gear up for the T20 World Cup. Pakistan is scheduled to play Sri Lanka in a three-match T20I series in Dambulla on January 7, 9, and 11.

Following the Sri Lanka series, Pakistan will head to Australia for another three-match T20I series in late January. Afterward, they'll focus on final preparations for the World Cup, which starts from February 7.

Amid this, the BPL franchises are left in the mud, as they would require replacements to fill the void.

Regarding player availability, a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official commented, "It is not a fact that we are not giving an NOC (No Objection Certificate) this year. The players who have applied for the NOC, we are currently processing it. We are seeing who can be given an NOC and who cannot be given an NOC."

The official emphasized the priority of national duty, saying, "However, we must also remember that whenever there is national duty, that is our priority. So if someone is on national duty, in that case he will not be having the NOC and this is followed everywhere in the world."

Pakistan Players in BPL 2026

Among the Pakistan players in BPL, at least five are expected to be near or near about the call-ups for National Duty. Saim Ayub is a certainty along with Sahibzada Farhan and Abrar Ahmed, while Mohammad Nawaz, Sufiyan Muqeem and Usman Khan are also close for selection.