Ollie Pope pulls out of Afghanistan Premier League draft
Ollie Pope has pulled out of the draft for the inaugural Afghanistan Premier League.
He had been the only centrally contracted England player in contention. That term means he holds a full annual deal with England. The draft is due later this month, with the new franchise league planned for the United Arab Emirates later this year, according to BBC Sport.
English players need a No Objection Certificate from the England and Wales Cricket Board to take part. That is formal permission to appear in an overseas league.
ECB director of cricket Rob Key said it is legally hard to stop players joining competitions such as the APL. Pope's decision to withdraw was taken independently of Key's view.
Pope has not played international cricket since the third Ashes Test in Australia last December. The Ashes is England's historic five-Test series against Australia. He was still handed a new 12-month England contract.
He has stood in as England captain on six occasions. That included the Test against India at The Oval in 2025. A stand-in captain leads the side when the regular skipper is unavailable.
Four other English players remain entered in the draft. They are Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali, James Vince and James Rew. A draft is a selection event where new teams take turns to pick players and build their squads.
The context around England and Afghanistan is sensitive. The ECB has refused to schedule bilateral cricket with Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Bilateral means a direct series arranged between the two countries, outside a major tournament.
England have still faced Afghanistan at global events. That includes World Cups in both limited-overs formats and the Champions Trophy, according to BBC Sport. Limited-overs cricket means the shorter formats, where each team faces a set number of balls.
Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi led calls for England's game against Afghanistan at the 2025 Champions Trophy to be boycotted.
For fans picking this up for the first time, the cricket point is simple. No current centrally contracted England player will be in the pool when APL teams choose their players. Attention now shifts to the draft later in October and whether any of the other English names are signed.
