The Afghanistan Cricket Board has received these player registrations ahead of the franchise competition, which is officially scheduled to begin on December 27, 2026. A total of 462 players from various nationalities have been shortlisted across the different draft categories for the five-team tournament.

Several prominent names currently involved in Pakistan's white-ball plans are included in the list of registrants, featuring fast bowler Naseem Shah alongside batting options such as Saim Ayub, Arafat Minhas, and Hasan Nawaz. Other notable Pakistani players who have signed up for the draft comprise Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, and Hasan Ali.

The player pool further features experienced campaigners and domestic performers including Faheem Ashraf, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Mohammad Haris, Azam Khan, Tayyab Tahir, and Iftikhar Ahmed. Haider Ali, Saad Baig, Jahandad Khan, Khurram Shehzad, Kamran Ghulam, Sharjeel Khan, Abdul Samad, and Irfan Khan Niazi have also put their names forward.

The registration list is rounded out by Usman Qadir, Rumman Raees, Sameer Minhas, and Gazi Ghori, bringing the total number of registered Pakistan players to 29. Among them, Fakhar Zaman enters the draft following a strong run of form that recently saw him finish as the top scorer in an One Day International tri-series final hosted in Lahore.

In addition to the Pakistani contingent, ten players from Bangladesh have also registered their availability for the league. Shakib Al Hasan has been placed in the Diamond bracket, while Rishad Hossain occupies a spot in the Platinum bracket. The Bangladesh group also includes Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Mushfiqur Rahim.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has maintained a strict stance regarding NOCs for overseas franchise leagues over recent months. During the Nepal Premier League in October 2026, the board withheld clearance for seven Pakistan players, mirroring a similar standoff surrounding the Major League Cricket competition in July 2026. Both of those previous disputes centred on a reported fee of USD 25,000 per player that the board sought to collect from participating franchises. Alongside financial considerations, ongoing diplomatic tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have frequently been cited as an underlying factor in clearance refusals.

When questioned about the likelihood of granting NOCs for the upcoming Afghanistan tournament, an official of the Pakistan Cricket Board delivered a blunt response by stating they did not think approval would be granted. That single assessment effectively signals that the majority of the 29 registered players will likely fail to receive the necessary clearance to take part, regardless of their formal inclusion in the draft pool.

One notable exception involves Mohammad Amir, who chose to register for the draft as a United Kingdom national rather than under Pakistan. Holding British citizenship and listing the UK as his country of residence, Amir's registration method successfully bypasses the specific NOC requirements that apply to players registered under the Pakistan Cricket Board.

The Afghanistan Premier League operates as a five-team competition with strict squad parameters, allowing between six and seven overseas player slots per side. Team purses for the participating franchises are set between USD 650,000 and USD 750,000, establishing a defined spending ceiling for the auction process. Players placed in the top Platinum category command baseline fees of USD 100,000, making them the most expensive bracket available.

While the comprehensive draft pool of 462 players demonstrates the league's ambition to attract global talent, the consistent reluctance of the Pakistan board to issue NOCs means that actual representation from Pakistan in the final squads could be heavily restricted. The tournament itself remains on course to commence on December 27, 2026, with franchises finalising their preparations ahead of the draft.

Amir has not yet confirmed his final intentions regarding the upcoming IPL auction, which is scheduled to take place in Goa on December 16. His potential entry as a UK player follows a pathway previously utilized by former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood, who featured in the tournament between 2012 and 2015 after acquiring a British passport following his international retirement.

Pakistan cricketers have not participated in the lucrative T20 league since its inaugural season in 2008 due to ongoing political and sporting dynamics between the two nations. However, utilizing dual nationality or a foreign passport has historically allowed individuals to bypass certain residency and board-related restrictions governing participation in overseas franchise tournaments.

Registering as a British player could potentially exempt Amir from requiring a No-Objection Certificate from the Pakistan Cricket Board. Under standard regulations, active and retired Pakistan players require formal permission from the governing body to participate in foreign domestic leagues, though stricter enforcement is frequently applied depending on the tournament.

Amir has already been placed in the Platinum category for the Afghanistan Premier League draft, which takes place in Dubai. While more than thirty Pakistan players have registered for that specific draft, officials from the Pakistan Cricket Board have indicated that clearance for those individuals remains unlikely.

During his international career for Pakistan, the left-arm fast bowler appeared in 36 Test matches, 61 One-Day Internationals, and 62 Twenty20 Internationals. His most recent appearance for the national side came during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup fixture against Ireland held in Florida in June 2024.

The Afghanistan Premier League draft features five competing franchises, each permitted to assemble a squad of up to eighteen players. Regulations dictate that each roster must comprise predominantly domestic talent alongside a restricted contingent of international signings from various global cricket boards.

Franchises preparing for the IPL 2027 season face a retention deadline extension to November 17 ahead of the mini-auction proceedings. Should Amir officially submit his registration documentation before the deadline, prospective team franchises will evaluate his fitness, form, and availability during the December auction event.