PCB grants NOCs to four players for English county championship

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has granted No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to four cricketers to participate in the ongoing English county cricket championship. 

Sources reveal that Pakistan's Test captain Shan Masood, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, and Mohammad Abbas have been given the green light to play for Yorkshire, Warwickshire, Glamorgan, and Hampshire, respectively.

These players are participating in foreign leagues due to their exclusion from Pakistan's 17-member squad for the upcoming five-match home T20I series against New Zealand.

It is worth noting that the New Zealand men's cricket team has arrived in Islamabad and is set to face off against the Men in Green on April 18 in the opening match at Rawalpindi.

Pakistan squad:

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan (wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan

Reserves: Haseebullah, Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Wasim Jr

New Zealand squad:

Michael Bracewell (c), Tom Blundell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Zak Foulkes, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (WK), Ish Sodhi

Pakistan vs New Zealand T20I series:

• 18 April: 1st T20I, Rawalpindi (7pm PST)
• 20 April: 2nd T20I, Rawalpindi (7pm PST)
• 21 April: 3rd T20I, Rawalpindi (7pm PST)
• 25 April: 4th T20I, Lahore (7pm PST)
• 27 April: 5th T20I, Lahore (7pm PST)