Pakistan gave permission Friday for banned former captain Shoaib Malik and all-rounder Rana Naved-ul-Hasan to play in a domestic Twenty20 league in Bangladesh. Earlier this month the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) banned Malik and Naved from all forms of the game for a year and fined them three million rupees (35,000 dollars) for breaching players' code of conduct.
Local media reported both players were banned for match-fixing but the PCB has not specified the violation. "The penalties on these players were for international cricket for the Pakistan team but they are eligible to play in domestic competitions, so they are cleared to play in Bangladesh," PCB official Wasim Bari told AFP.
Besides Malik and Naved, former captains Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf were also banned on March 10 for an indefinite period due to "infighting", after an investigation into the team's disastrous December-February tour. Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Umer Akmal were also fined heavily and put on probation for six months. The players have 30 days to appeal.
The banned players are eligible, however, to compete in domestic cricket in Pakistan and in competitions abroad, like county cricket in England and private leagues in other countries. But the PCB stipulated that no player could play abroad without prior permission.
"Besides Malik and Naved some other players also applied for permission and we have an open mind on that," said Bari, PCB chief operating officer and himself a former captain. Yousuf was cleared to play in Bangladesh earlier this week. The Twenty20 league starts later this month. Openers Imran Farhat and Taufeeq Umer have also been cleared to play in Bangladesh.
Comments
Comments are closed.