Big Bash League side Brisbane Heat have announced a special fan zone named the “Shaheen Shah Afridi Fan Bay” to honour Pakistani pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, who is expected to represent the franchise for the first time this season.
Tickets for the Shaheen Bay will go on sale soon with the exclusive zone active during all five of Brisbane Heat’s home games at the Gabba. The matches are scheduled for December 19, December 27, January 2, January 10 and January 18.
The franchise said the fan zone has been created to celebrate Shaheen’s arrival in the BBL and to allow the Pakistani community and cricket fans to show their support.
The honour, however, comes at a time when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has suspended the No Objection Certificates (NOCs) of national players for foreign leagues.
The decision, confirmed through an official notification issued by PCB Chief Operating Officer Sameer Ahmed, came a day after Pakistan lost to India in the final of the Asia Cup.
The board had earlier granted NOCs to several players for participation in BBL, but those approvals have now been put on hold.
The move directly affects Pakistan’s leading cricketers, including Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan and Faheem Ashraf.