The Pakistan Cricket Board has removed the provisional ban on Haider Ali and handed the top-order batter an official No-Objection Certificate for the forthcoming Bangladesh Premier League.
“The provisional suspension on Haider Ali has been lifted with immediate effect,” a PCB spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday. “He is now free to take part in domestic and overseas competitions, subject to usual clearance.”
Haider, 25, has not played competitive cricket since June. While on tour with Pakistan Shaheens in England, the right-hander was accused of rape by a UK-born Pakistani woman. Greater Manchester Police dropped the case on 25 September, noting “insufficient evidence to proceed to court”. The PCB had stood the player down for the duration of the investigation.
Haider’s clearance comes alongside NOCs for Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Sahibzada Farhan, Faheem Ashraf, Hussain Talat, Khawaja Nafay and fast bowler Ehsanullah, all of whom have BPL contracts.
“I’m relieved the matter is over and grateful to everyone who backed me,” Haider said in a brief statement posted on X. “The focus now is cricket—nothing else.”
Former Pakistan quick Aqib Javed believes the timing is right. “He’s lost three good months. A busy BPL will help him sharpen up before our T20I season,” Javed told Geo TV.
Since debuting in 2020, Haider has featured in 35 T20Is and two ODIs, often as an attacking middle-order option. With the T20 World Cup nine months away, selectors will monitor his BPL form closely, though there is no immediate guarantee of an international recall.
For now, a spell in Dhaka offers the batter a straightforward aim: runs, rhythm and a fresh start.
