Pakistan's Abdul Razzaq has gone ahead and made a claim that the Indian Cricket League (ICL) has terminated the contracts of all Pakistani players and would issue 'No Objection Certificates' (NOCs) this week to enable them to play elsewhere, including for the national team.
"In the next two or three days we will have the NOCs in our hands and will be able to submit it to the Pakistan Cricket Board," Razzaq said.
He said the ICL would have no issues if the players signed up to play anywhere else. I think this opens the way for ICL players to again qualify and be eligible to play for Pakistan," he said.
Recently, senior batsman, Mohammad Yousuf has written to the PCB asking it to reconsider him for national selection and has submitted a written document confirming his willingness to end his ICL contract.
However, the PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt said he had no knowledge about ICL releasing the Pakistani cricketers, adding the matter would be discussed at the executive board meeting of the ICC on April 16 after which a final decision could be taken.
"I have spoken to the ICC Chairman and chief executive about the ICL players issue and we are hopeful we will get some good news. We want to resolve problems for these players who are after all our national players," Butt said.
What adds substance to the claim of Razzaq is the fact that the ICL has decided to hold it's championship in October instead of March due to the deepening economic recession. Also there are murmurs that the ICL has yet to settle the outstanding dues from the last year to the players.
Also the future of the ICL was put in further jeopardy after The Kiwi cricketers contracted with the rebel cricket league, were told that they would be offered a lease from their contracts if they were to request for their release. This move would enable the rebel Kiwis to resume their duties with their national side. The ICL contracted players recently received an e-mail from their organizers stating the option.
As per this, the players are allowed to immediately join their national team in case of a contract termination with ICL.
The ICL-bound 17 Pakistani players were banned by the PCB from playing domestic as well as international cricket since 2007.
But the Sindh High Court recently lifted the domestic cricket ban on the players after they challenged the PCB ban.
If the ICL does release the Pakistan players then Yousuf, Razzaq, Sami, Imran Nazir, and Rana Naveed could come into the equation when the selectors meet to pick the ODI squad to play Australia in Dubai.
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