In a significant victory, South African wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi has won his legal battle against Cricket South Africa (CSA). The Johannesburg High Court ruled in Tabraiz Shamsi’s favor, ordering Cricket South Africa (CSA) to issue him full No-Objection Certificates (NOCs).
Tabraiz Shamsi Cleared for ILT20 and BBL After NOC Battle with CSA
The Johannesburg High Court’s decision has finally cleared the path for the South African left-arm spinner to play in the T20 leagues across the world, which he was earlier blocked from by the CSA because of South Africa’s franchise tournament – SA20.
As reported by Rapport, Cricket South Africa must now allow Shamsi to take part in two major tournaments. He will now be entirely available for the Gulf Giants in the ongoing ILT20 in the UAE, which runs from December 2 to January 4.
After that, the Proteas spinner will join the Adelaide Strikers in the ongoing Big Bash League 2025-26 (BBL 2025-26) from January 4 to January 25 in Australia.
Heart of the NOC Dispute
The conflict began when CSA refused to give Tabraiz Shamsi a full No-Objection Certificate for the entire ILT20 season. As per Cricket South Africa rules, all South African players need board approval to play in overseas leagues, whether or not they hold a national or domestic contract.
Cricket South Africa only granted Shamsi an NOC until December 19, citing that he was required to be available for the SA20 because he had entered the auction and even been picked by a team. Notably, Shamsi was bought by MI Cape Town in the SA20 auction for R500,000. However, he never signed a playing contract with the franchise and later withdrew from the tournament.
CSA NOC Refusal Sparks Legal Fight
Despite this, Cricket South Africa stopped him from playing the remainder of the ILT20, which forced the cricketer to take the battle to the Johannesburg High Court. In court papers dated December 16, Shamsi argued that the board’s refusal to extend his NOC was done in bad faith.
He explained that the decision was directly affecting his financial state and restricting his ability to earn a living as a professional cricketer. After hearing the case, the court issued an interim order instructing CSA to grant Shamsi a full NOC for all the overseas leagues he is set to play.
Court Orders CSA to Grant Tabraiz Shamsi Full NOC
The reason behind this order was that Tabraiz Shamsi was not contracted with the South African board, and his dispute was with an SA20 franchise and not with CSA, so the order was ruled in the cricketer’s favor.
A crucial point in the case was that the SA20 organizers themselves chose not to take any disciplinary action against Shamsi for not signing the contract, which also weakened CSA’s argument.
Now, the order allows the experienced spinner to play the full ILT20 season with the Gulf Giants and also gives him a second NOC to represent the Adelaide Strikers in the ongoing Big Bash League. Earlier, Shamsi played for the Joburg Super Kings and Paarl Royals in the SA20.