ICL never remains short of creating controversies. Since its inception two years back, it has been the bone of contention between players and boards of various countries. BCCI never accepted this step-sister of IPL as it banned the players signed up with ICL from playing for the national team. Since ICC did not recognize the rebel ICL, it forced various cricket boards to ban their players with an affiliation with the league.

Pakistan Cricket Board, which is already going through Dark Ages, has been the worst sufferer in the entire ban-game. After many domestic series cancelled due to security reasons, players voluntarily opting out of team and now more players banned from playing for the national team because of their ICL tie-up; Pakistan is going through a severe cricket crunch. It now wants the ICC to review its stance on sanctioning the ICL a legal recognition.

BCCI’s staunch opposition to ICL led many boards, including PCB to debar its players from playing in the national team. Pakistan has banned 20 of its leading cricketers including former skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq, openers Imran Farhat , Imran Nazir, pacers Mohammad Sami, Rana Naved-ul-Hassan and all-rounder Azhar Mahmood and Mohammad Yousuf for their association with ICL.

Former Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq accused PCB of ulterior motives for banning the Indian Cricket League players only to please the “powerful Indian cricket board BCCI.” Wielding under players’ persistent demands to be allowed to play for national team as well as in domestic first-class championships, PCB is now flexing muscles to work around a way. PCB Director General and former player Javed Miandad admits there is a lot of pressure on PCB to lift the ban. This becomes all the more poignant as the future of Pakistani ICL players looks bleak. After the November terror attacks on Mumbai, ICL is looking to replace Lahore Badshahs team. That will jeopardize these players who will then be left jobless.

However, things look bright with Sri Lanka recently lifting the ban on former skipper Marvan Atapattu, batsmen Russel Arnold and Avishka Gunawardena and leg spinner Upul Chandana who are associated with ICL However; they still will have to wait till ICC recognizes ICL to qualify for national selections again. Bangladesh Cricket Board has imposed a 10-year ban from all forms of cricket on 13 players related with ICL.

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

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