Usama Mir, a legspinner for Pakistan, has been denied a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) by the PCB, hence he will miss the T20 Blast. Mir was not included in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad, thus he was thought to be available throughout the competition after signing with Worcestershire Rapids.
ESPNcricinfo has discovered that his request for a NOC was denied, nevertheless. Following drawn-out talks in 2023, Mir was one of the players who agreed to three-year central contracts with the PCB. All centrally contracted players are allowed to participate in two franchise T20 competitions in addition to the Pakistan Super League each season, per the terms of their contracts.
As a result, according to the PCB and ESPNcricinfo, he is not allowed to participate in any more T20 competitions for the duration of his present contract, which expires on June 30, 2024, on July 1, 2023. Mir participated in the Big Bash League in 2023–24 and the Hundred in August 2023. Even though his core contract was backdated to start at the beginning of July, he hadn’t signed it when he played the Hundred. After getting called up to the national team for a five-match T20I series in New Zealand, the PCB decided to remove him from the BBL after just five outings. “All NOCs are subject to national duty,” the PCB states.
Mir’s BBL participation has been reduced, thus it’s known that the player thought he had a good chance of receiving a nod of approval for the Blast, as did Worcestershire. The PCB maintains that “PSL +2” is an inflexible guideline, despite Mir participating in two foreign franchise leagues during this cycle.
Mir hasn’t participated in any international T20 tournaments since the 2024 PSL season, when he was the Multan Sultans’ leading wicket-taker. He participated in the Hundred last season as well as for Manchester Originals, and he was subsequently signed to a £60,000 deal for the 2024 campaign. He intends to participate in the Hundred and one more league this season, as ESPNcricinfo is aware.
Mir played 11 games for Worcestershire last season and was one of the Blast’s stars. In six innings, he amassed 132 runs at a 162.96 strike rate and claimed 19 wickets at a 16.89 pace. Hayden Walsh, a legspinner and one of the five West Indies reserves for the T20 World Cup, has taken his place.
It was Jason Holder, whose time at Worcestershire ended recently, who recommended Walsh. Ashley Giles, CEO of Worcestershire, stated, “Hayden is a versatile and talented cricketer whose skills will be a great asset to our squad.”
“Jason has given him a great reference, which says volumes about his skills and character. Even though Usama’s absence was regrettable, we are sure Hayden will blend right in and contribute significantly to our campaign.”
Walsh expressed his excitement about joining Worcestershire and being a member of the esteemed club. Alzarri [Joseph] and Jason have both stated positive things about the team and the players, and I’m excited to help the squad succeed. I’m eager to get going since it’s an interesting opportunity.”
On Thursday night, Worcestershire will play Yorkshire away in the T20 Blast, and Josh Cobb and Tom Taylor might both make their county debuts. Joe Root is a member of the Yorkshire team, and they anticipate having him available for the team’s opening seven Twenty20 matches.