Amir Enters APL Draft as UK National as PCB NOC Question Looms

Dubai: Mohammad Amir has registered for the Afghanistan Premier League draft as a UK national, a designation that may free him from the No-Objection Certificate requirement that continues to cloud the participation of his former Pakistan teammates.

The 34-year-old, who lives in England and has acquired British citizenship, has been listed as a UK national with Pakistan as his country of residence. He has been placed in the Platinum category of the draft, which is scheduled for Tuesday in Dubai. The league is likely to be held later this year.

The immediate consequence of enrolling as a UK national is that Amir may not require an NOC from the Pakistan Cricket Board, a document that is far from guaranteed for the more than 30 Pakistan players on the register. Reports indicate that NOCs have already been rejected by the PCB amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries on either side of the Durand Line. A PCB spokesperson appeared to rule out the possibility of issuing them for the APL. “I don’t think so,” the spokesman told Cricbuzz. The auction register published by the Afghanistan Cricket Board states that the availability of Pakistan players is subject to receiving NOCs from the PCB.

IPL Precedent

The arrangement raises the prospect of Amir also registering for the IPL auction from England. Precedence exists. Despite the ban on Pakistan nationals, former international Azhar Mahmood featured in the IPL between 2012 and 2015 for Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders on a British passport. Whether any franchise shows interest in Amir will become clear in Goa on December 16, when the IPL mini-auction is scheduled.

Amir, a veteran of 36 Tests, 61 ODIs and 62 T20Is, last played for Pakistan in June 2024 against Ireland in Lauderhill, Florida, during the ICC T20 World Cup.

A Register of Note

The draft list includes Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Hasan Ali, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf and Imad Wasim among the Pakistan contingent. Former India internationals Vijay Shankar and KS Bharat, both retired from all forms of cricket including the IPL, have also registered. Vijay, Ayaan Khan and Murugan Ashwin are registered as Indians, while Bharat is listed as an Indian player resident in the UAE. Vijay, Murugan and Bharat have been placed in the Gold category.

The 462-player shortlist also features players of Indian origin including Unmukt Chand (US), Rahul Chopra (UAE), Akshdeep Nath (UAE), Alishan Sharafu (UAE), Aryan Afzal Khan (UAE), Ayaan Khan (Oman), Dhruv Parashar (UAE), Vraj Patel (Kenya) and Yasin Patel (Kuwait).

Top Afghanistan players, among them Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ibrahim Zadran and Noor Ahmad, will feature in the league.

Tournament Structure

The league comprises five teams, each permitted a maximum of 18 players, including 11 to 12 Afghanistan players and six to seven overseas recruits. Player fees are set at USD 100,000 for the Platinum category, USD 65,000 for Diamond, USD 40,000 for Gold, USD 20,000 for Silver and USD 10,000 for Emerging players. Each team will operate with a player purse of between USD 650,000 and USD 750,000.

                                               

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