PCB Chief Happy After Players Snub ICL

Pakistan’s cricket chief on Saturday said he was happy that players had turned down lucrative offers to join a breakaway Indian league, saying it showed their patriotism.

“We had faith in our players that they will not join the Indian league,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Nasim Ashraf told reporters.

Top Pakistani cricketers were linked to the multi-million-dollar breakaway Indian Cricket League (ICL), which is being bankrolled by Zee Telefilms, India’s largest listed media company.

Seven current players — captain Shoaib Malik, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif, Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq — were offered lucrative contracts to play the Twenty20 tournament.

Any defections could have hit Pakistan cricket hard as league matches coincide with the important home series against South Africa in October and with their tour of India a month later. Ashraf said, however, that the ICL was not a big issue with him.

“I was least bothered because I know my players and was sure that they would not join any league which is neither accepted by the Indian board nor by the International Cricket Council.”

Akhtar, Asif and Afridi were the first to turn down ICL offers, while Ashraf said Younis had also informed him that he had rejected an approach. “Younis was made the offer in England where he is playing county cricket but he told the official who contacted him that he is happy playing for his employers Habib Bank and for Pakistan.

“I am pleased to know players’ sentiments and they proved they only want to play for Pakistan. The league is only signed by players who have either retired or are on the verge of retirement so we were not bothered.”