Player availability has been a headache for the ILT20 since the tournament’s launch, and organisers believe they have found a safeguard. From the 2026 season every squad must contain at least four Afghanistan players and one from Ireland, while every playing XI must field two Afghans, two UAE players and one cricketer from another Associate nation.
Those instructions sit in the 2026 Player Contract Model, circulated to all six clubs in May. Franchise executives told this writer they have formally objected, but the league intends to press on. The fifth edition remains scheduled for 22 November-20 December.
What the rulebook says
• Squad size: 21-23 players
• Minimum make-up: 11 from ICC Full Member countries; four UAE (including one capped and one Under-23); two from the wider Gulf Co-operation Council; one Associate (not UAE, Saudi Arabia or Kuwait); four Afghanistan; one Ireland
• The above form the “Mandatory Players” category, described in the document as “mandatory”.
Why the change?
Two trends worry administrators. First, fixture clashes. For its first four years ILT20 overlapped at various points with South Africa’s SA20 and Australia’s BBL, leaving coaches unsure which overseas stars would actually turn up. Although last season did not coincide with SA20 and the same looks true for 2026, the league will again run parallel with part of the BBL.
Second, some boards are limiting how many overseas leagues their players may join. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan already do. The ICC is watching, too: after meetings in May the governing body announced a working group to “assess harmonisation of franchise cricket with [the] international calendar within the current structure”, warning of the “growing expanse” of T20 competitions.
An official involved in drafting the new rules said privately: “If more Full Members refuse NOCs, we must ensure the tournament still puts out recognisable quality. Afghanistan supply world-class white-ball talent and, crucially, their board lets them travel.”
Franchise reaction
Team owners are not convinced. One senior executive called the quotas “a blunt instrument”, arguing that list management should remain a club responsibility. Another said, “The league is trying to solve one problem but may be creating three.” Their concerns are threefold:
1. Recruitment costs could spike if demand for Afghan players suddenly outstrips supply.
2. Talent balance may suffer: “Four Afghans is fine if they’re Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and so on; trickier if they’re less experienced,” a coach observed.
3. Irish availability is far from guaranteed once the new one-day Super League cycle begins in 2027-28.
Market reality
Associates such as the Emirates Cricket Board rely on marquee names from Full Member nations to sell broadcast and sponsorship deals. Afghan cricketers – Rashid, Mohammad Nabi, Naveen-ul-Haq – tick that commercial box while being realistically attainable. Irish players add a different demographic and a handy European broadcast window.
Yet franchise bosses note that setting quotas does not conjure players out of thin air. “We might all chase the same half-dozen names, then what?” one asked. League officials counter that the broader Afghan domestic pool is stronger than people realise.
What happens next?
For now the regulations are locked in, but a working group featuring league and club representatives will meet later this month to fine-tune implementation. Both sides privately accept that clarity must come well before the 2026 auction so that scouting, budgeting and player negotiations can begin.
Perspective
The ILT20’s attempt to future-proof itself is understandable: tournaments live or die on reliable, recognisable faces. Equally, franchises seek flexibility to build balanced squads. The coming months will reveal whether the new quotas strike that balance or simply shift the availability puzzle elsewhere.
Either way, the league has set its course. From 2026, Afghan and Irish cricketers will not just be welcome in the Gulf – they will be compulsory.
