Jason Holder not granted an NOC for PSL
On January 6, Sir Andy Roberts had called for more commitment from the West Indian cricketers towards their National team and had said that if he were one of the selectors, he would not have granted the No-Objection Certificates that the players need from their respective cricket boards to participate in the domestic T20 tournaments.
It seems that the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) have listened to that advice, as the WI skipper, Jason Holder was denied an NOC to participate in the inaugural edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) which starts next month in the UAE.
Holder was picked by the Quetta Gladiators franchise in the Diamond category, and used Twitter to thank the franchise and at the same time express his unavailability for the tournament.
“It's true Holder won't be playing PSL for Gladiators as his NOC has been rejected. We had been in contact with him for last several months and he wanted to be part of PSL. We understand that WICB want to strengthen their Test team and which is why his NOC have been rejected. In the meantime, Gladiators have an option to sign his replacement,” a PSL official said to the Express Tribune.
"Holder was an important part of our plans but what can we do now. We wish him good luck for his assignment while were delighted to sign such a brilliant replacement in the form of Perera who is a clever bowler and a big-hitter. Gladiators are lucky to have signed a true match-winner so it’s a win-win situation,” the official added further.
The Quetta team have, meanwhile, named Thisara Perera, the Sri-Lankan all-rounder as a replacement for the Caribbean.
The tournament comprising six teams would be played between February 4 and February 23 across two cities- Sharjah and Dubai- the drafts for which were held across two days, December 21 and December 22, with big names such as Chris Gayle, Kevin Pietersen, and Shahid Afridi getting picked.