Cricket South Africa has been ordered to grant Tabraiz Shamsi an NOC for the entirety of the ILT20 after the spinner took the board to the Johannesburg High Court.
CSA ordered to extend Shamsi's NOC
Cricket South Africa have been instructed by the Johannesburg High Court to extend Tabraiz Shamsi's NOC to allow him to compete in the entirety of the ILT20. Shamsi has been playing for Gulf Giants since the beginning of the competition, but was only granted an NOC until December 19, meaning Shamsi would not be eligible to play in the tournament until its conclusion on January 4.
Players are required by the ICC to be issued with a No Objection Certificate from their national governing bodies in order to play in overseas leagues. Shamsi is not contracted by Cricket South Africa, having opted out of a contract last year in order to "explore all opportunities" available to him, and no longer holds a contract for a domestic team in South Africa. Nevertheless, he remains available for national selection and was originally contracted to play for MI Cape Town in the SA20 this month.
Under the High Court ruling, CSA have been directed to issue Shamsi with an NOC until the end of the ILT20, and have also been ordered to pay his legal costs.
Why did Shamsi take CSA to court?
Shamsi withdrew from his contract with MI Cape Town last month, citing personal reasons at the time. He was replaced by all-rounder Thomas Kaber in MI's squad. However, being free from his SA20 obligations allowed Shamsi to pursue contracts in the multiple other franchise leagues currently taking place around the world, including the ILT20 and the BBL.
Having been signed by Gulf Giants, Shamsi was granted an NOC only until his commitments with the SA20 would have begun if he had still been playing in the league, on December 19. Given that would prevent him playing in the second half of the ILT20, Shamsi sought 'urgent interim relief' from the High Court, after talks with CSA for extending his NOC broke down. Separately to the court ruling ordering his NOC be extended to cover the entirety of the ILT20, CSA has granted Shamsi an NOC to play in the BBL, a contract he will take up in January.
"I am grateful that the Court recognized the urgency of my situation and granted interim relief," a statement issued on Shamsi's behalf by his management company, Global Sports Ventures, read. "I was reluctant to take this matter to court, but it became necessary to bring certainty and resolve a situation that could not be resolved in any other way. This was never about maximising opportunities, but being able to approach my career in a considered and sustainable way.
The judgement could have far-reaching implications for freelance cricketers pursuing franchise league contracts. NOC's have become a contentious issue over the last two years, with the ECB and PCB tightening their restrictions on issuing them to players. The judgement sets a precedent for allowing players to seek opportunities overseas during their home seasons, instead of playing in their home board's leagues.
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