Liton, Nahid & Rishad Get PSL Clearance Amid Rumors
Rumors circulated on social media suggesting that Liton Kumar Das, Nahid Rana, and Rishad Hossain were denied No Objection Certificates (NOC) to participate in the PSL due to the upcoming Zimbabwe series. However, this is far from the truth.
Liton and Rishad have received full clearance to play in the entire Pakistan Super League (PSL) this year. On the other hand, Nahid will not be available for the whole tournament. The young fast bowler, who is set to make his debut in an overseas franchise league, will travel to Pakistan a couple of weeks after the tournament begins.
The 10th edition of PSL kicks off on April 11, with Zimbabwe scheduled to visit Bangladesh for a two-match Test series starting four days later. This overlap sparked doubts about Liton and Nahid’s availability. Social media was rife with claims that they would be denied NOCs to prioritize the Test series. However, sources confirm that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has granted all three players the necessary clearance.
BCB’s Cricket Operations In-Charge, Shahriar Nafees, declined to reveal the duration of the NOCs while speaking to bdnews24.com.
“As we mentioned before, we are now more flexible about allowing players to participate in franchise leagues. Following that approach, all three players selected for the PSL have been granted NOCs. However, we won’t disclose the exact duration of their clearance,” Nafees said.
According to multiple sources, Liton and Rishad have been granted full-season clearance. In contrast, Nahid will remain in Bangladesh until the first Test against Zimbabwe due to workload management and other factors.
Nahid was picked by Peshawar Zalmi in the ‘Gold’ category of the PSL Players’ Draft. Meanwhile, Karachi Kings selected Liton, and Lahore Qalandars picked Rishad.
Despite being referred to as “Bangladesh’s speedster,” Nahid will not be available for the entire tournament. He personally confirmed his clearance period to bdnews24.com.
“BCB has given me the clearance to play in the PSL. I can start playing from April 26. I haven’t spoken to Peshawar yet. Maybe after Eid, we’ll discuss when I’ll join the team,” Nahid shared.
By April 26, Peshawar will have already played five matches. Nahid is expected to join for the remaining league matches, with more opportunities if the team qualifies for the playoffs.
Since Nahid won’t be available from the start, Peshawar was given the option to pick a temporary replacement through a virtual draft. However, they chose not to add anyone new.
Liton, another Test regular like Nahid, has received full clearance despite the Zimbabwe series. Given the relatively weaker opposition, the BCB allowed the wicketkeeper-batsman to participate in the PSL.
Liton might face competition for a spot in Karachi Kings’ playing XI against New Zealand’s keeper-batsman Tim Seifert. Karachi captain Shan Masood mentioned during the Players’ Draft that Liton was picked as a backup for Seifert. Notably, Seifert was in explosive form against Pakistan in the recent T20I series.
Liton, who is set to make his PSL debut, has previously played in the IPL, CPL, and Lanka Premier League.
Rishad’s participation in the PSL never faced significant doubts since he is yet to make his Test debut. After applying for the NOC, the young leg-spinner received full-season clearance.
Following his impressive performance in the T20 World Cup last year, Rishad was approached by Canada’s Global T20 and Australia’s Big Bash League. However, he couldn’t participate in either due to various reasons.
The PSL will now mark the 22-year-old’s first appearance in an overseas league. Lahore Qalandars picked him from the Players’ Draft, and with no other leg-spinner in the team, Rishad has a strong chance of getting consistent game time.
