Due to a niggle, star England pacer Reece Topley has withdrawn from the forthcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL). This would have been his first season in Pakistan’s top franchise league, playing with the Multan Sultans.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has rejected the left-arm pacer’s application for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to participate in the T20 competition. Reece Topley played with the Durban Super Giants, who placed second in the just-ended SA20 2024, starting in 12 of the 13 games. With a strike rate of 18 and an average of 25.31, he claimed 13 wickets.
On Sunday, February 11, Sultans owner Ali Tareen tweeted, “Reece Topley hasn’t received his NOC [no-objection certificate from England] and is out of the PSL.”
Multan would lose more pacers than Reece Topley in the upcoming PSL season. Ihsanullah, who is young and gifted, will not be competing in the event because of a chronic elbow injury.
Reece Topley’s injury isn’t too significant, according to ESPNcricinfo, but the England management doesn’t want to take any chances with the T20 World Cup set to take place in the USA and the West Indies in June. Additionally, the source stated that Topley’s injury is not severe enough to prevent him from participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The Sultans’ management is making every effort to strengthen their roster by adding replacements. According to sources, the Sultans were considering Nandre Burger of South Africa, who also had a strong SA20 2024 campaign, as a possible Topley successor. But Cricket South Africa also declined to issue a nod of approval for the youthful left-arm bowler.
Olly Stone of England, who recently competed in the SA20 and ILT20, is currently one of the favorites to replace Topley. Another alternative is veteran Sri Lankan pacer Dushmantha Chameera, but he will miss the rest of the white-ball series against Afghanistan because of a left quadriceps injury that he sustained on Sunday.
Starting on Sunday, February 17, is PSL action. In the previous two tournaments, the Multan Sultans came in second place and lost to the Lahore Qalandars in the championship game. This year, Mohammad Rizwan and company intend to persevere.
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