The PCB has announced a two-year ban on former Pakistan cricketers who played in the Asian Legends League in Zambia without obtaining clearance from the board. The ban covers NOC issuance for all approved overseas leagues and bars those players from any coaching, consultancy, or mentoring role with the PCB and HBL Pakistan Super League for two years.
More than a dozen former Pakistan players were signed to the Pakistan Panthers squad for the tournament’s second season, held at the Lotus Sports Club Ground in Lusaka from July 30 to August 10. The squad included Sharjeel Khan, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Irfan, Imran Nazir, Abdur Rehman, Naved-ul-Hasan, Rahat Ali, and Rana Naeem Anwar, with Mohammad Hafeez named captain.
Three players pulled out before playing a match. Hafeez, Sohail Tanvir, and Umar Akmal arrived in Lusaka but withdrew after learning the requisite ICC approvals had not come through. Their decision to step away means they are unlikely to face the ban. The rest of the squad continued to play.
“International Cricket Council (ICC) considers this league as an unsanctioned/disapproved cricket event under the ICC Regulations on the Sanctioning of Events and Player Release and the tournament has not been sanctioned by the Zambia Cricket Union (ZCU) as well.”
PCB official press release, August 4, 2026
The PCB statement cited the ICC’s own regulations, which require all foreign players to obtain a No Objection Certificate from their home board before participating in overseas cricket events. Member boards are obligated to take action against any player who participates in an unsanctioned event. Failure to comply may result in action against the board itself.
The two penalties are specific. First, a two-year ban from the issuance of any PCB NOC for participation in approved overseas cricket leagues. Second, ineligibility for any cricketing, coaching, consultancy, mentoring, or other assignments with the PCB and PSL for two years. For retired players who depend on PSL coaching and mentoring roles for post-career income, that second penalty carries real financial weight.
Why Only Pakistan’s Board Has Acted
The Asian Legends League featured players from six teams representing nine nationalities. Indian Royals fielded Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, Harbhajan Singh, Yusuf Pathan, and Ambati Rayudu. The Sri Lankan Lions had Kumar Sangakkara and Thisara Perera. Shakib Al Hasan captained the Bangladesh Tigers. Asghar Afghan and Mohammad Shahzad played for the Afghanistan Pathans. Tillakaratne Dilshan and Robin Uthappa represented the Asian Stars.
Every one of these players participated in the same unsanctioned event. The ICC’s regulations on sanctioning of events and player release apply equally to all member boards. Yet the PCB is the only board to have issued a statement, the only board to have called it a violation, and the only board threatening sanctions.
The BCCI, Sri Lanka Cricket, the Bangladesh Cricket Board, and the Afghanistan Cricket Board have not taken public action against any of their former players. No statement. No warning. No ban.
The Zambia Cricket Union confirmed the league’s unsanctioned status independently.
“Not sanctioned, approved or endorsed by ZCU.”
Zambia Cricket Union statement
This is not the first time the PCB has taken a unilateral stand on legends tournaments. In August 2025, the board issued a blanket ban on future participation in the World Championship of Legends after India forfeited matches against Pakistan, calling the tournament “tainted with hypocrisy and bias.”
Insider Read:
When an organiser flies retired players to a venue, pays them, and presents the event as legitimate, the player has no reason to assume ICC approvals are missing. That is the job of the organiser and the boards. Hafeez, Tanvir, and Umar Akmal only found out the approvals were missing after arriving in Lusaka, which tells you how the information was presented to the squads. Punishing players for trusting an invitation they had no way of verifying puts the blame on the wrong side.
A number of former Pakistan cricketers could face PCB bans for taking part in the Asian Legends League in Zambia – a tournament that the Zambia Cricket Union has said is “not sanctioned, approved or endorsed by ZCU” pic.twitter.com/n9QmBgRqBJ
— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) August 5, 2026
The Asian Legends League was founded in 2023 and held its first season in 2024. Season 2 was originally planned for June in Nairobi, Kenya, but was cancelled and rescheduled to Lusaka, Zambia, with the tournament website citing geopolitical tensions in parts of the Middle East as the reason for the venue change.
Sources:
PCB official press release, August 4, 2026 PCB
Also Read:
