Reports: PCB denies NOC to Azam Khan, only Pakistani participant at inaugural ILT20

Azam Khan, who was the only player from Pakistan to contest at the inaugural International League T20 (ILT20), has been denied a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and as a result, will not be able to participate in the tournament.

The only non-Indian-owned team in the six-member league, Desert Vipers, signed him at the league. Azam Khan would have been the only Pakistani figure to have competed in the tournament, but as per reports, The 24-year-old wicketkeeper-batter has not received the NOC to compete in the league which begins early next year.

"We have received correspondence from the PCB that NOCs are not being granted to the Pakistan players. It was up to the owners whether to take Pakistan players or not, and at least one owner, Lancer Capital, were interested," an ILT20 source was quoted as saying by CricBuzz.

An official from the PCB verified the news, saying that the Dubai league's organizers had been informed that Pakistani players won't be given NOCs. It was earlier said that the PCB had prohibited their players from participating in either the ILT20 or South Africa’s inaugural SA20 League, which is also set to commence in January next year.

"No player has formally applied for an NOC. When a request is made, it will be reviewed by the concerned authorities," said a PCB official.

It was logical given that 11 of the 12 owners in the two tournaments are Indians, and the owners in India apparently do not favor players from Pakistan due to the diplomatic animosity between the two nations. Numerous Pakistani players' agents, situated in Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, and England, put in extra effort and vowed to provide the teams with the finest of their country's potential.

The direct signing of Azam, the son of renowned Pakistani wicketkeeper Moin Khan, to the Desert Vipers franchise, which is coached by Tom Moody, gave rise to the perception that other Pakistani players will be drawn to the Lancer Capital-owned team. In fact, it was thought that the Vipers could play a team with as many Pakistani players as possible. But as per recent developments, that scenario will not be on cards.