Ollie Pope withdraws from Afghanistan Premier League draft

Ollie Pope has withdrawn from the Afghanistan Premier League draft, BBC Sport reported on Monday. The England batter had been expected to be the only player with an England central contract seeking a place in the competition, which is scheduled to be held in the United Arab Emirates later this year. The draft is due later this month.

Watch the highlights:

BBC Sport understands that Pope made the decision independently of England director of cricket Rob Key's position on the league. Speaking as England announced their latest central contracts, Key said he would personally decline to participate but acknowledged the legal difficulty of preventing players from doing so. He said the decision ultimately required players to make their own moral judgement.

English players would need a No Objection Certificate from the England and Wales Cricket Board to appear in the tournament. As Pope holds a central contract, Key would have been involved in assessing his availability. Key told the Test Match Special podcast that he had discussed the matter with Pope, while expressing opposition to the treatment of women in Afghanistan.

The ECB has declined to arrange bilateral matches against Afghanistan since the Taliban regained power in 2021. England have nevertheless continued to face Afghanistan in international tournaments, including the Champions Trophy and World Cups in the two limited-overs formats. That distinction has been challenged by former England batter Dawid Malan, who remains entered in the APL draft alongside Moeen Ali, James Vince and James Rew, according to the BBC report.

Malan told Test Match Special that players look to the International Cricket Council and national boards for guidance. He acknowledged the moral concerns but also described the pressure to earn a living during a playing career. His preference was for boards to take a clear position that players could follow, rather than leaving individuals to resolve the tension between an approved competition and objections to participating.

Separately, Pope received a new 12-month England contract despite having played no international cricket since the third Ashes Test in Australia last December. He returned to the Test squad for the home series against Pakistan and has captained England six times. His withdrawal removes him from the APL draft while other English players remain in contention.