ICL players not instantly eligible for national duty

Pakistani Batsman Mohammad Yousuf. File Photo

KARACHI: Amid speculation that Mohammad Yousuf is planning to leave the ICL to again play for his country, PCB’s legal advisor Shan Gul said the cricketers could return to the national side only a year after terminating their contracts with the rebel League.

‘There is a rider in the contracts these players have signed with the ICL that they have to wait for 12 months after they end their contracts with ICL to play for their country again,’ Shan said.

The ICL players were banned from playing domestic and international cricket by the Pakistan Cricket Board but the Sindh High Court last month suspended the domestic ban after a challenge filed by 17 players against the board ruling.

The players, including Yousuf, are now appearing in the National One-day Cup cricket tournament. Sources said some ICL players who could still play for Pakistan were considering terminating their contracts and that certain amount of discussion on this issue had been held with chief selector Abdul Qadir and board officials.

Qadir had said if the PCB cleared the rebel players then the selection committee would definitely consider players like Yousuf, Imran Farhat, Imran Nazir, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Sami and Abdul Razzaq for national team selection.—Agencies