English Contingent: Eight English players, headlined by Moeen Ali and Alex Hales, were signed in the draft for the inaugural Afghanistan Premier League T20 (APL), which is scheduled to begin on December 27, 2026. Complete List of English Signings: Alongside Moeen and Hales, the drafted players include Joe Clarke, Tymal Mills, Olly Stone, Luke Wood, Tom Moores, and Chris Wood. None of these eight players hold central contracts with the ECB. Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir also entered the draft as a British citizen and secured a deal. There was further English involvement at the draft, with England's 2019 World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan involved in its broadcast as a pundit. Morgan said that the APL draft was "an exciting day, the start of a new journey that I'm looking forward to." Sanctions & NOC Uncertainty Pending ICC Sanction: The tournament has not yet received official sanctioning from the ICC, though the approval process regarding anti-corruption and anti-doping standards is ongoing. ECB's Stance: While the ECB has indicated it will reluctantly grant No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to avoid restraint-of-trade issues, any approvals remain strictly contingent on the league receiving formal ICC sanctioning. Moral and Political Backlash: Several players, including Ollie Pope, Will Smeed, and David Willey, withdrew from the draft following criticism over potential involvement, given the Taliban government's policies regarding women and girls in Afghanistan. Tournament Setup & Last-Minute Drama Venue & Ownership: The first season is planned to be hosted in the UAE. However, full transparency requirements remain incomplete as only three of the five franchises have been sold, leaving two teams with generic holding names ('Team Paktia' and 'Team Balkh'). Captaincy Confusion: In a bizarre last-minute twist during the draft, franchises swapped captains, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz moving to lead Team Paktia and Rahmat Shah taking charge of Nangarhar—leaving team ambassador Mark Boucher and other onlookers baffled.