Adam Hose, Alex Hales, Ali Naseer, Azam Khan, Bas de Leede, Colin Munro, Dinesh Chandimal, Gus Atkinson, Luke Wood, Matheesha Pathirana, Michael Jones, Rohan Mustafa, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sheldon Cottrell, Sherfane Rutherford, Tom Curran, Wanindu Hasaranga.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has formally requested the Emirates Cricket Board to make adjustments to the schedule of the upcoming International League T20 (ILT20).

The second edition of ILT20 is currently slated to be held from January 13 to February 12, 2024. However, due to a clash with the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the PCB has sought a ten-day concession to ensure the participation of its players, as per a report by ESPNcricinfo.

During the previous edition of ILT20, which took place earlier this year from January 13 to February 12, Pakistani players were not granted permission to compete in the UAE-based league, despite receiving enticing offers.

As reported by Cricket Pakistan last month, ILT20 organizers extended substantial contracts to top Pakistani players such as Shaheen Afridi, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan. They were also offered captaincy roles and the opportunity to sign three-year contracts. However, the PCB did not permit their involvement, and former PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja had even requested compensation from the Emirates Cricket Board for withholding the players.

In contrast, the current PCB chief, Najam Sethi, has adopted a more flexible stance regarding ILT20. Sethi emphasizes the importance of maintaining strong ties with the UAE and suggests that negotiations can be pursued based on the principle of reciprocity. Consequently, as stated by Cricket Pakistan, it is likely that national team players will participate in the upcoming edition of ILT20.

Cricket Pakistan also recently reported the possibility of rescheduling the home series against the West Indies in 2024. During a recent PSL governing council meeting in Lahore, PCB officials informed the franchises that accommodating PSL 9 might require rearranging the mentioned series with the West Indies. The West Indies team is currently scheduled to visit Pakistan in February and March for two Test matches and three T20I matches.

Tucker’s involvement in the ILT20 is the latest test for Cricket Ireland’s selection policy, which has started to incorporate scope for players to skip specific bilateral series to make the most of the “development opportunities” offered by franchise leagues.
Historically, Ireland has only tended to grant No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to centrally-contracted players when leagues do not clash with their international schedule. But the growth of their fixture list, the increasing number of opportunities available in franchise cricket, and the new prominence of their leading players suggest their stance will soften to ensure they are not tempted to turn down central contracts and go freelance.

Little, the left-arm seamer who is skipping the Zimbabwe T20Is to play for Pretoria Capitals in the SA20, is the player in the highest demand. Last week, he was signed on a lucrative ‘platinum’ deal by Multan Sultans at the PSL draft, and he is available at a base price of INR 50 lakh (£50,000 approx.) in Friday’s IPL auction.

ESPNcricinfo understands that he is likely to be made available for the duration of the IPL if signed – although a decision would depend on Ireland’s progress in the ODI Super League. If results elsewhere mean they are still mathematically in contention for automatic qualification to the 2023 World Cup, he would be expected to return home for Ireland’s final Super League series against Bangladesh in May.

“Cricket Ireland’s view on franchise cricket involvement by our contracted players is that it’s Ireland-first by default,” Richard Holdsworth, Ireland’s long-serving performance director, said. “However, on a case-by-case basis, where an opportunity to leverage a franchise league offer may provide a benefit to the Irish set-up or player development, we will consider flexibility in selection.
“That proximity to major tournaments or where the head coach would prefer to have the players available for international matches, that will be the priority.”

“The recent success of our senior squad on the world stage has attracted the attention of various franchise tournaments. We take this as both a positive sign of our trajectory as a cricket nation and long overdue recognition for the talent on this island.”
“This month alone eight of our senior squad have been involved in franchise leagues, and we expect the demand for Irish talent will only grow over coming years.”

Andrew White, Ireland’s national selector, added: “The selectors have recognized the development opportunity for Lorcan Tucker in taking up the franchise T20 tournament opportunity next month given the location and quality of players involved. “While he had previously been named in the Irish squad for the Zimbabwe tour, we considered that the chance opportunity for Lorcan to play in the UAE franchise league would give him an experience that could greatly benefit his game while allowing us an opportunity to expand our international talent pool.”

Tucker has been replaced in the squad by Ross Adair, the spin-bowling allrounder and older brother of Mark Adair. He previously enjoyed a professional rugby union career with Ulster and described his call-up as a “huge honor”.