Mohammad Amir has registered for the Afghanistan Premier League draft as a British national, and the move has opened a possible route back into the Indian Premier League. The 34-year-old former Pakistan fast bowler has entered the Platinum category for the draft, which is scheduled for Dubai on Tuesday, November 3.

Amir lives in England and has acquired British citizenship. He is formally listed as a UK national on the APL register, and that single detail is what makes this story worth a second look. Nationality rules shape who can play where in franchise cricket, and a player who changes the flag on his paperwork can change the options available to him.

Why the nationality switch matters

The core advantage is simple. Players registered under Pakistan’s nationality need a No-Objection Certificate from the Pakistan Cricket Board before they can take part in franchise leagues abroad. By registering as a UK national, Amir does not need that NOC in the same way. That gives him far more freedom to chase franchise contracts outside Pakistan.

Amir has already started that journey. He has featured in England’s domestic T20 competitions, the T20 Blast and The Hundred, as a UK national. The APL registration is the next step in building a career on the franchise circuit away from Pakistan.

His relationship with Pakistan cricket is the backdrop to all of this. Amir retired from international cricket in 2024, after reversing an earlier retirement in 2020. He has made it clear that his association with Pakistan cricket is over. Taken together, the moves suggest a player who wants to keep playing franchise cricket on his own terms.

The IPL precedent

Amir is not the first former Pakistan international to find a way into the world’s biggest T20 league on the back of British citizenship. Azhar Mahmood did it first. He played in the IPL as a British national for Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders between 2012 and 2015.

Mahmood appeared in 23 IPL matches, scoring 388 runs and taking 29 wickets. His record shows that a former Pakistan international with British citizenship could earn a place in the league. That is the template fans and franchise watchers are now looking at when they talk about Amir.

The comparison has limits, though. Registering for the APL draft does not automatically put Amir into the IPL auction, and it does not guarantee a contract with any franchise. He would still need to register for the auction, and teams would still need to show interest in signing him. None of that has been decided.

The Pakistan players question

The APL draft register is crowded with Pakistan names. More than 30 Pakistan players, including Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Hasan Ali, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf and Imad Wasim, are on it. A Pakistan Cricket Board spokesperson appeared to rule out issuing NOCs to its players for the tournament.

That position puts the spotlight on the very route Amir is using. Players who want to play in the APL without a PCB NOC have to find another way to be eligible, and a British passport is one of those ways. The board’s stance on NOCs is the reason the nationality question has become so loaded.

His registration for the APL draft does not automatically guarantee an entry into the IPL auction or a contract with a franchise.

Two Indian names on the same list

The draft also includes two former India internationals, Vijay Shankar and KS Bharat. Both have retired from all forms of cricket, including the IPL. Vijay has registered as an Indian player. Bharat is listed as an Indian player resident in the UAE. Both have been placed in the Gold category, alongside Murugan Ashwin.

A total of 462 players have been shortlisted across the draft categories. The APL is expected to be held later this year, and the draft on Tuesday will show how the field is shaping up before any tournament begins.

For now, the story is about one player and one decision. Amir has used a change in nationality to create a new option for himself. Whether that option becomes an IPL contract is the question that fans, franchises and the player himself will be watching over the coming months.