Senior all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has questioned Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s decision to revoke the NOCs issued to the players to play in the T10 league in Abu Dhabi this month.
“First they issued the NOCs and now they have stopped it. I don’t understand. They should have a clear policy on leagues,” Hafeez said.
“I am not in the central contracts list, neither have I been selected in the Pakistan team, Nor do I have any provisional contract and I am also not playing first class domestic cricket so I do want to go and play in the league,” he said.
The PCB after initially issuing NOCs to some 15 players, including Hafeez, then announced the NOCs were revoked as the players were required to play domestic cricket and attend camps.
The PCB’s U-turn has already drawn a backlash from the Emirates Cricket Board who has said absence of Pakistani players will cause a serious damage to the league.
According to a leading cricket website, ECB vice-chairman Khalid Al Zarooni had sent a letter last week to PCB chairman Ehsan Mani to say that the decision would directly hurt the UAE government’s stakes in the tournament, and urged the Pakistani board to change its mind.
Mani is believed to have told the ECB vice-chairman on the phone about the Prime Minister’s role in the decision. He also advised the ECB to engage directly with Khan through a senior UAE minister to find a resolution.
The ECB is thought to be weighing its options, including raising the issue of government interference in the PCB’s affairs with the ICC.
Interestingly the PCB’s decision to revoke the NOCs came even after the Lahore Qalanders franchise in the Pakistan Super League entered their team “Qalanders” in the T-10 league.
Hafeez, who is in the Qalanders outfit, made it clear that if any Pakistani goes to play in the league then he will also go.
“Either they stop every Pakistani from going to play in the league or allow anyone who wants to go. I play in leagues around the world and after all I am also answerable to the organizers,” he said.
“If I will not go then no one goes but if the PCB allows anyone to go then I will also go because they first issued me a NOC.”
Although Hafeez doesn’t have a central contract now but PCB rules say a player is bound by contractual clauses for atleast six months after the contract has ended.
Pakistan’s former captains, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik and retired Imran Nazir are among the players picked in the T-10 drafts.
A source in the board said that a review of the whole situation was being done and it could change after the ECB protest.
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