In 2023, 45 Pakistani players played in tournaments around the world to become the second biggest contributor to global franchises after England with 74 players.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) returned to their players for worldwide matches against Pakistan before the IPL play-offs games in the new season. This move caused disappointment among the IPL groups, who needed to contend without main England players during the essential knockout stages.
ECB Chief Richard Gould in a meeting with Cricbuzz answered by emphasizing their support for players taking part in world franchise leagues. He featured that in 2023, 74 England-qualified men played in worldwide competitions, making England the main supporter of global franchises.
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In a meeting with Cricbuzz, ECB Chief Richard Gould expressed that England has been the greatest supporter of worldwide T20 franchises in 2023, as well as positioning Pakistan second. Gould explained that while the ECB values players’ participation in franchise cricket, top players must be available for England’s respective matches and ICC internationals, particularly given the multi-year central contracts.
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He expressed, in 2023, 74 England-qualified men’s players played in tournaments globally. That means we’re the greatest supporter of worldwide franchises. The second-best performing country, I think, is Pakistan with 45 players.
“We are exceptionally satisfied when our players go out, around the world playing in franchise leagues,” Gould included.
The ECB President’s statement comes when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) administrator Mohsin Naqvi denied NOC to main players like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah from taking part in T20 leagues, following Pakistan’s lackluster 2024 T20 World Cup campaign.
After counseling with the players and the national selection panel, the PCB inferred that the NOCs should be denied so the key Pakistani cricketers could focus on international duty.