ESPNcricinfo understands that Cricket South Africa (CSA) will revoke no-objection certificates (NOCs) for centrally-contracted players for the duration of their domestic season. Shamsi, who is a crucial part of South Africa’s limited-overs squads, is required by the board to return home to participate in the domestic T20 competition from March 9, and will depart the PSL on March 6.
Shamsi is expected to feature for Kings in their first six games of the season, starting with their fixture against Multan Sultans on Sunday, but will be unavailable for the business end of the tournament. It is a significant blow for the Kings, who are looking at a partial replacement for Shamsi to bolster their spin ranks – which also include Mohammad Nawaz, Arafat Minhas and Shoaib Malik.
Overton has been pulled out of the PSL by his county, Surrey, who have withdrawn his NOC to ensure he is fit and fresh for the start of the County Championship season on April 5. He has spent the winter playing T20 cricket for Adelaide Strikers in the BBL and Gulf Giants in the ILT20, and suffered a minor shoulder injury at the ILT20.
Surrey’s decision means Overton will miss out on another opportunity to push his credentials for inclusion in England’s T20 World Cup squad after an impressive recent run in short-form cricket, which included being named MVP in the men’s Hundred last summer. He is uncapped in limited-overs internationals and won his only Test cap to date in June 2022.
The PSL starts on February 17 in Lahore, with the final in Karachi on March 18.