The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will issue No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to English players who want to join the inaugural Afghanistan Premier League (APL) T20 tournament. The board made this choice even though it still refuses to play bilateral cricket series against Afghanistan due to human rights concerns.
The first season of the APL starts on December 27 in the United Arab Emirates. Organizers eventually plan to move games to the Kabul International Cricket Stadium in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), along with promoters Trans Group and ITW Universe, organizes the franchise league. Its schedule does not overlap with the English domestic summer.
Player Registrations and Central Contracts
The APL player draft was delayed from September 27 to October 24. It has attracted several well-known English cricketers. Ollie Pope and Luke Wood have registered for the tournament. Both hold ECB central contracts for the 2025-26 cycle, so their participation requires standard NOC approval.
Other English players who entered their names for the five-team tournament include:
- James Vince
- Moeen Ali
- Jason Roy
- Reece Topley
- Tom Kohler-Cadmore
- Laurie Evans
Players from Ireland and Scotland, such as Jai Moondra and Brandon McMullen, have also registered for the draft.
Distinction Between Bilateral Series and Franchise Leagues
The ECB keeps a strict policy against bilateral matches with Afghanistan because the Taliban government oppresses women and girls. The United Nations calls this treatment “gender apartheid.” However, the board evaluates overseas franchise competitions using different rules.
The Professional Cricketers’ Association asked for clarity on this issue. The ECB confirmed that the APL will be judged just like any other global franchise league. This policy depends on the tournament receiving formal approval from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Political pressure regarding cricket ties with Afghanistan remains high. Last year, 200 MPs signed a cross-party letter urging the ECB to boycott an ICC Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan in Lahore. The match took place, and Afghanistan won by eight runs, which knocked England out of the tournament. ECB chair Richard Thompson stated that while bilateral series stay suspended, matches in mandatory ICC events are treated as separate exemptions.
Wider Context and Ongoing Advocacy
The mix of cricket and human rights in Afghanistan continues to face criticism from humanitarian groups and politicians. Amnesty International and several parliamentarians have urged players to think about the ethics of playing in a league run by the ACB while the Taliban bans women and girls from public life and sports.
At the same time, Afghan players remain visible in English domestic competitions. In recent seasons, players like Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad played in The Hundred, while Fazalhaq Farooqi played in the T20 Blast. These players have made 27 appearances total in English domestic circuits.
Additionally, the ECB takes part in a special ICC taskforce that supports displaced Afghan women cricketers. The ICC extended financial support for the Afghan women’s refugee team through 2032. This support aims to create clear pathways for the team to enter official ICC qualification events by the end of the decade.
