3 min readAug 5, 2026 04:30 PM IST
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that former players who are participating in an unauthorised tournament called the Asian Legends Cup in Lusaka, Zambia, will face disciplinary actions, including a ban of two years from approved overseas cricket leagues or events.
“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. The ICC has further reiterated that all foreign players are required to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their respective home Board before participating in overseas cricket events. The Regulations also place an obligation on Member Boards to take appropriate action against any player who participates in an unsanctioned event. Failure to comply with these obligations may result in action against the respective Member Board,” the PCB said in a statement.
“In light of the above, the following disciplinary measures will be taken on individuals found to have participated in the said unsanctioned event without obtaining the requisite approvals from the PCB: A ban of two (02) years from the issuance of any PCB No Objection Certificate (NOC) for participation in approved overseas cricket leagues or events. Ineligibility for any cricketing, coaching, consultancy, mentoring and/or other assignments with the Pakistan Cricket Board and the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) for a period of two (02) year,” it added.
A number of well known players were named in the Pakistan Panthers squad which appeared in the Asian Legends Cup but some of them pulled out after learning that it was not sanctioned. Those who opted out included Muhammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, and Umar Akmal, according to sources as per PTI.
But the players who appeared in a match on July 31 against the Asian eleven included Imran Nazir, Taufeeq Umar, Muhammad Irfan, Rahat Ali, Yasir Shah, Zahid Mahmood, Hasan Raza, and Ibrar Hussain.
Taufeeq has until recently held the batting coach position with the national women’s team while others have also been active on the domestic circuit. The tournament itself was abruptly ended on Tuesday by the organisers.
The other teams in the league were Indian Royals, Sri Lankan Lions, Bangladesh Tigers, Afghanistan Pathans and Asian Stars.
