The inaugural edition of the UAE's International League T20 (ILT20) is all set to take place with six teams in January 2023. On Thursday, the ILT20 teams announced the list of foreign cricketers from 15 plus countries but not a single player from Pakistan has been contracted.
A week back, Azam Khan became the first Pakistani cricketer to be roped in by ILT20. He was recruited by Desert Vipers, the franchise owned by Lancer Capital. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided not to issue No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to its players for ILT20.
It was earlier speculated that the newly launched UAE's ILT20 will not hire Pakistani cricketers, following most of its teams owned by the multiple franchises of the Indian Premier League. PCB not issuing NOC to its players for ILT20 ends Azam's part in the inaugural edition of the tournament.
Cricketers from all across the world will feature in ILT20, which is the second-most cash-rich league after the IPL. Huge salaries and benefits have been offered to all the players following a major chunk of its investment from IPL stakeholders.
As reported, 84 international cricketers from different countries are under consideration. The countries are Afghanistan, Australia, England, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, and the West Indies, including the Associate countries, Italy, Namibia, Nepal, the Netherlands, Oman, Scotland, the USA, and the UAE
