Afridi played a pivotal role for the Renegades in the inaugural edition of the Big Bash League

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have announced that all-rounder Shahid Afridi, spinner Saeed Ajmal and batsman Umar Akmal will not be allowed to play in Australia’s Big Bash League in order to ensure that they participate in the domestic Twenty20 tournament currently going on.

Akmal had signed a contract with the Sydney Sixers and Ajmal had agreed to terms with the Adelaide Strikers, while Afridi was poised to move from the Melbourne Renegades to the Sydney Thunder.

The PCB’s domestic Twenty20 tournament is set to end on December 10, which will be followed by a week-long conditioning camp before the national team head to India on December 22 for a limited overs series.

Both Akmal and Ajmal had not played in the Big Bash League’s inaugural edition last year, while Afridi only scored 69 runs in four innings for the Renegades last year, but was their top wicket taker with 10 wickets at an average of 20.80 before agreeing to move to the Thunder during the transfer window in July.

Sydney Thunder’s general manager John Dyson stated that he was disappointed to learn that Afridi would not be playing and added that the team had already started searching for his replacement.

“Afridi is one of the most exciting and popular T20 players in the world. It is a pity that our Thunder supporters, many of whom follow Afridi closely, will miss out on seeing him first hand this season at our home ground,” Dyson said.

The Adelaide Strikers have also begun looking for another player to replace Ajmal.

South Australia Cricket Association’s (SACA) Director of Cricket Jamie Cox said: “We’ve already started hunting for an international replacement and, let me assure you, there are some really exciting prospects out there, once we’ve finalised Ajmal’s replacement, Striker fans will be the first to know.”