England batter Ollie Pope has pulled out of the draft for the inaugural Afghanistan Premier League, which is set to take place in the United Arab Emirates later this year. Pope had been due to be the only centrally contracted England player in the running for the competition.
When England's latest contracts were confirmed on Monday, director of cricket Rob Key said he would not play in the APL but admitted it is "legally hard" to prevent England players from taking part. Any English player would need a No Objection Certificate from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). As a contracted player, Pope's availability would have been decided with Key's involvement, but it is understood he withdrew independently of Key's view on the competition.
Key said: "Legally it is hard to stop players going over and playing in these competitions. It becomes a moral judgement and players have to be prepared to take the right moral stance." He added: "Personally, I would not go and play. But it is down to the player to make that decision." The ECB has refused to schedule bilateral cricket with Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, and chair Richard Thompson has described the Taliban's oppression of women and girls as "gender apartheid". England have continued to face Afghanistan at global events, however.
Former England batter Dawid Malan, who is also in the draft alongside Moeen Ali, James Vince and James Rew, said the decision is difficult. "As a player it is tough because you have what is morally right and what is by the law," he said, adding that he needs to earn a living.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing