Reports: ECB denies NOC to Punjab Kings star Jonny Bairstow for IPL 2023

Previously, it was reported that stumper-batter Jonny Bairstow will miss the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League to focus on the upcoming Ashes. However, the latest reports suggest that it was not up to the player as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has reportedly refused to issue a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to Bairstow for taking part in the cash-rich league, which is slated to begin on March 31.

Notably, the 33-year-old dislocated his ankle and eventually broke his leg while playing golf on August 2022. Following which, the cricketer had to undergo surgery and is yet to make his return to professional cricket. Since his injury, he has missed out on a lot of cricket including the T20 World Cup in Australia and series against Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh among others.

Now, according to Cricbuzz, Bairstow is expected to gain full fitness in the next couple of weeks but ECB doesn’t want to risk him as the Ashes is just around the corner. Thus, Punjab Kings, who bought him for INR 6.5 crore at the IPL auction 2022, will miss his service but are yet to announce his replacement.

Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran will most likely be available for full tournament

After Bairstow's news there is also slight uncertainity about whether Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran will be available for the whole tournament, especially when the prior is currently dealing with multiple injuries. However, it is expected that Livingstone will recover on time and will be able to play all the matches for Punjab Kings.

When it comes to Sam Curran, there were a few doubts as well. Notably, the franchise bought him for INR 18.5 crore at the IPL auction - making him the costliest player in the history of the competition. Thus, not having him would have been a major shock for the Shikhar Dhawan-led side but as reported, he will be available throughout the course of the season.

PBKS full squad for IPL 2023: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Shahrukh Khan, Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma, Raj Bawa, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Baltej Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh, and Mohit Rathe

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