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Major plot twist in Pakistan's Big Bash ban threat
SEN • October 23rd, 2025 4:37 pm
Crisis averted for Cricket Australia and the Big Bash who have secured an 11th hour reprieve on the Pakistan Cricket Board banning its players from competing overseas.
In September, PCB chief operating officer Sumair Ahmad Syed issued a notice to players that would forbid them to play in an international T20 franchise.
The news came as a monumental blow to CA and several clubs who has secured Pakistani talent for the forthcoming season.
The likes of Babar Azam (Sydney Sixers), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Brisbane Heat) and Muhammad Rizwan (Melbourne Renegades) were all locked in for the 2025-26 season.
SEN’s Tom Morris has confirmed a solution has been found and the ban has been overturned.
“About three weeks ago the Pakistan Cricket Board board emailed agents of star players to tell them no objections certificates would be on hold,” Morris said on SEN’s call of the ODI between Australia and India.
“Pakistan - like India - would not allow its players to play in the Big Bash or any franchise league outside of the country.
“This rocked the Big Bash, it rocked Cricket Australia with seven of the eight clubs having one Pakistan player.
“I’ve done more digging and I understand CA reached to the PCB on the issues and now they have clarified that these seven players will be allowed to play in the BBL and there is no material change.
“How it transpired behind the scenes? We might never know, but what we do know is the stars can play this summer.
“Imagine getting an email on September 29 to say they can’t play this season – absolute panic stations.
“Crisis averted.”
