Overview:
Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam will make their debut in the BBL.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has given permission to 12 contracted players to play in three franchise leagues during December and January ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. However, Pakistan’s T20I captain, Salman Ali Agha, hasn’t got the green signal, considering he is not a sought-after player in the tournaments across the globe, with questions being asked about his performance in the shortest format of the game.
Pakistan players will play in the Big Bash League (BBL), Emirates International League (ILT20) and Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), with the three leagues running in the month of December and January. The South African T20 League is scheduled from December 25 to January 26, but all the teams in the SA have majority stake or total ownership by IPL franchise owners. The Pakistan players were not picked for the event.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam will make their debut in the BBL. BPL franchises have signed 11 Pakistan players, including Saim Ayub, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Amir, Abrar Ahmed, Sahibzada Farhan and others.
Usman Tariq, Naseem Shah and Fakhar Zaman are associated with Desert Vipers in the ILT20 League.
Most of the players will have to return home early from the leagues as the PCB is on the verge of finalising a three-match T20 series in Sri Lanka, followed by three more contests against Australia from January 30.
The Big Bash League teams completed the signing of the Pakistan players after getting assurance from the PCB that they would play in the entire season, which starts from December 14 and ends on January 25. The BPL will begin from December 26, while the ILT20 is scheduled from December 2 to January 4.