Abu Dhabi T10 in Doubt as PCB Demands NOC Fee
Pakistan players’ participation in the Abu Dhabi T10 League has become highly unlikely after the Pakistan Cricket Board reportedly withheld their No-Objection Certificates. The board is demanding a fee of $10,000 for each certificate, according to ESPNcricinfo. The Abu Dhabi T10 starts on 7 November, two days from now, and franchises are scrambling for replacements.
The league management applied for the certificates shortly after the player draft on 30 September. PCB officials told them of the $10,000-per-player demand only at the start of this week, days before the tournament. As many as 16 Pakistani cricketers were picked by five of the six teams in the draft. Some players were willing to pay the fee from their own salaries if their franchises refused.
Geo Super reported the standoff from the ESPNcricinfo report. Mediation efforts have failed, and franchises have begun exploring replacement options. The PCB has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
Who is affected by the Abu Dhabi T10 row
The 16 players picked in the draft span the national side. They include Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir and Fakhar Zaman, spread across five teams: Arabian Aces, Emirates Eagles, Royal Desert Champions, UAE Bulls and United Tigers.
The fee demand is not the first of its kind. Last month, the PCB also withheld certificates for Pakistani players picked for the Nepal Premier League, reportedly demanding $25,000 per player. Hussain Talat and Jahandad Khan still played in that tournament, but several other Pakistani cricketers returned home without featuring in it.
The board’s policy of charging leagues for certificates has shifted over recent years. It first arose around the launch of the International League T20, when the board sought payments from leagues where it felt Pakistani players had limited reciprocal chances. A PCB official said that reasoning had not changed.
The new central contracts behind the Abu Dhabi T10 dispute
The PCB has overhauled its certificate policy under its new central contracts. The revised framework removes the limit on the number of T20 and T10 leagues for players classed as T20 specialists under Track C, with availability for national duty as the main condition. Dual-format specialists under Track AB, covering red-ball and one-day cricket, may play in one overseas league a year. White-ball specialists under Track BC, covering one-day and T20 cricket, may play in two leagues.
Red-ball specialists under Track A may not play in overseas T20 or T10 competitions at all. Under previous administrations, centrally contracted players were generally allowed to feature in two overseas leagues, under a policy known as “PSL plus two”. It is still unclear which players fall into each category, because the PCB has yet to announce its new central contracts. The previous contracts for the 2025-26 season expired on 30 June.
That gap is part of the problem. Players and franchises do not know where each cricketer stands under the new system. A fee demand that arrives days before a tournament, with no published contracts to check it against, leaves little room to plan.
Why Pakistani players keep losing overseas chances
Chances for Pakistani cricketers in overseas franchise leagues have kept shrinking, partly because of strained political relations between Pakistan and India. Pakistani players remain excluded from the Indian Premier League. Franchises owned by Indian business groups, including IPL team owners, have largely avoided signing them in other competitions.
No Pakistani cricketer has featured in the SA20, where all six franchises are owned by IPL franchise groups. There have been a few exceptions elsewhere. Abrar Ahmed played for Sunrisers Leeds, owned by IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad, in the Hundred this summer. Usman Tariq played for Trinidad Knight Riders in the 2025 and 2026 Caribbean Premier League editions before being picked by Abu Dhabi Knight Riders for this year’s International League T20.
The board’s own shifting certificate policy has added to the uncertainty, according to some cricketers. A player picked in a draft cannot plan his season if the certificate depends on a fee set at the last minute.
Feature Pakistan has followed the home season closely, from Sri Lanka’s warm-up against a Patrons XI to the week’s results in the Champions League and the Paris Masters.
Frequently asked questions
Why are Pakistan players missing the Abu Dhabi T10?
The PCB has reportedly withheld their No-Objection Certificates and is demanding $10,000 per player. The demand came days before the tournament, which starts on 7 November.
How many Pakistan players were picked in the Abu Dhabi T10 draft?
Sixteen players were picked by five of the six teams, including Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir and Fakhar Zaman.
Has the PCB charged NOC fees before?
Yes. Last month it reportedly demanded $25,000 per player for the Nepal Premier League. Hussain Talat and Jahandad Khan still played, but several others returned without featuring.
What do the new PCB central contracts say about overseas leagues?
T20 specialists under Track C face no limit on T20 and T10 leagues. Track AB players may play in one overseas league a year, Track BC players in two, and Track A red-ball specialists in none. The new contracts have not yet been announced.
