Ollie Pope has pulled his name from the Afghanistan Premier League T20 draft, which is set for October 24, 2026. Will Smeed and David Willey have separately confirmed their own withdrawals, as scrutiny over English players' potential participation in the tournament continued to mount.
Pope took the decision before ECB managing director of men's cricket Rob Key addressed the matter publicly on Monday morning. Key urged English players to consider the ethical dimension of their choices.
"Legally, it's hard to stop players from going over and playing in these competitions. It becomes a moral judgement, and players have to be prepared to take right moral stance. Personally - and it's easy for me to say - I wouldn't go and play in it, but it's down, really, for the player to make that decision," Key told BBC Test Match Special.
Pope skippered England as recently as last summer and recently committed to a fresh one-year central contract.
Why did the ECB face scrutiny over granting NOCs for the APL?
The ECB had been prepared to issue No-Objection Certificates for the APL even though the board has maintained a long-standing policy of refusing bilateral fixtures against Afghanistan, a stance adopted in response to the Afghan government's restrictions on women's participation in sport. The contrast between those two positions attracted considerable public attention and raised questions about the consistency of the board's approach.
Players are commonly entered into franchise league drafts by their agents without direct involvement, which means some may only have become aware of their registration once public criticism surfaced. Among those who voiced concern was Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, whose comments added to the political dimension of the debate.
What is the current status of the APL and which England players remain in the draft?
The APL is due to get under way in the UAE on December 27, 2026, though the competition's viability remains in question. Reports indicate that only three of the five planned franchises have been sold, with one source characterising the league's outlook as 'touch and go'.
Dawid Malan is among the England players who remain registered for the draft. Rather than announcing an immediate withdrawal, Malan has indicated he is deferring to guidance from the ECB and the ICC on how to proceed. Whether further England players will follow Pope, Smeed and Willey in stepping back from the draft, and how many remain listed ahead of October 24, has not been confirmed.
