Faisal Iqbal gets NOC to rejoin Balochistan
PCB says it's pleased the coach has "promptly and swiftly" resolved the issues that led to the NOC being denied earlier
ESPNcricinfo staff
27-Sep-2020
Faisal Iqbal was granted an NOC on the eve of the National T20 Cup • Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Faisal Iqbal is set to rejoin the Balochistan team for the National T20 Cup tournament that starts on Saturday, after he was granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), his parent organisation, on Friday.
Faisal is already in isolation in Muridke and ready to join the squad in Multan. He was initially withdrawn as the head coach for the Balochistan first XI when PIA had delayed in issuing him an NOC. ESPNcricinfo understands the reason for the delay was an inquiry about discrepancies in his date of birth in two official documents he had submitted to PIA. Iqbal also had to extend his stay in a bio-secure environment by five days after he violated protocol alongwith assistant coach Wasim Haider.
However, the PCB said - via a statement issued by Junaid Zia, the general manager for domestic cricket - on Friday that Iqbal had "promptly and swiftly" resolved the matter and will rejoin the Balochistan side now.
"The PCB is pleased Faisal Iqbal has promptly and swiftly resolved an ongoing matter that could have resulted in distraction during an important period for his side and the tournament," Zia said. "Hopefully, Faisal will now fully focus on the job at hand and make meaningful contribution as head coach of the Balochistan cricket team."
Balochistan will play their tournament opener against Sindh on October 1.