Former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram has decided against joining the Afghanistan Premier League as a mentor, sources revealed on Thursday.
According to sources, Akram has decided not to take up mentoring role in the APL despite a lucrative offer from one of the five participating teams. His decision is likely due to Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) stance on the tournament.
Meanwhile, former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood was named as the head coach of Paktia, led by Rahmat Shah whereas fast bowler Waqar Younis is appointed as the team’s ambassador.
Ex-Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir was the sole player to be picked in the league’s draft held on 3 November, by Kandahar Warriors. The outfit roped in Amir as their first pick in the platinum category ahead of Afghanistan’s veteran off-spinner Mohammad Nabi.
Amir’s selection was due to his registration as a British citizen. The left-arm pacer entered the draft as UK citizen as he had acquired his citizenship earlier this year.
Besides Amir, over 30 Pakistan cricketers, who were also part of the draft were not picked due to uncertainty over NOCs objection from PCB, which is likely due to the current geopolitical situation between both countries.
It was also reported earlier that PCB was unlikely to give NOCs to their players to participate in the league.
Nonetheless, the tournament is set to be held for the first time since 2018, with it’s scheduled announced in the due course. All matches are set to be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The league will feature five teams, each allowed to have a roster of 18 players, including 11 to 12 Afghan and six to seven overseas players.
Afghanistan’s leading international players – Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim Zadran, have been named captains of the respective teams.
Close to 1,500 Afghan and international players had registered for the draft before the list was subsequently trimmed to 462 players. The registered players are selected across five categories: Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver and Emerging.