The Global T20 Canada will commence on the 25th of July and go on till the 11th of August. Pakistan is scheduled to tour Bangladesh from August 21 to September 3, where they will play two Test matches. Post this, England is set to tour Pakistan in October to play three Test matches, following which Pakistan will tour Australia to play three ODIs and as many T20Is from November 4 to 18.

Pakistan will then tour Zimbabwe later in the year, in November-December to play a limited-over series, which will be followed by an all-formats tour of South Africa, from December 10 to January 7, which includes three T20Is, three ODIs, and two Test matches. In January, Pakistan will host the West Indies for two tests and then an ODI tri-series involving South Africa and New Zealand will be held in Pakistan in February, which will be followed by the ninth edition of the Champions Trophy. The side will then fly out to New Zealand, where their season will come to an end with a limited-overs tour from March 16 to April 5, for five T20Is and three ODIs.

“The PCB had received NOC requests from Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi for the Global T20 event, amongst other players. After taking into consideration Pakistan’s busy and packed cricket calendar in the period from August 2024 to March 2025, which includes nine ICC World Test Championship matches and next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and following consultations with the three players as well as the national selection committee, it has been decided to decline their requests,” the PCB said in a statement.

“The three are all-format cricketers and their services are expected to be required in the upcoming eight months during which Pakistan will play nine Tests, 14 ODIs, and nine T20Is. As such, and in line with the PCB’s workload management policy, it is in the best interest of Pakistan Cricket and the players that they skip the upcoming event in Canada so that they are in their best mental and physical shape for the season, which commences with the two-Test series against Bangladesh,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Nawaz have been granted NOCs. “The PCB has approved NOCs for Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Nawaz. The four players are predominantly white-ball cricketers, while Iftikhar and Nawaz are centrally contracted players,” the PCB stated.