Banned Rana Naved signs for Tasmania

Lahore:

Pakistan's banned all-rounder Rana Naved ul Hasan has signed a fresh contract with Australian state side Tasmania indicating he is still very much in demand in the overseas Twenty20 cricket leagues.

Naved confirmed on Monday that he had renewed his contract with Tasmania whom he represented last winter in the Australian T20 Big Bash competition.

"I have this new contract with Tasmania and I am also negotiating another contract with English county Sussex to play for them this summer," he said.

Naved was among the seven cricketers banned or fined by the Pakistan Cricket Board on the recommendations of an inquiry committee that looked into the national team's poor show during the recent tour of Australia.

The board banned Rana for 12 months besides imposing a fine of two million rupees in their crackdown on alleged indiscipline in the team. The ban only barred Naved from playing for the national team while allowing him to play in the domestic circuit and foreign leagues.

"When I am not banned from playing in foreign leagues obviously I am looking for opportunities to play regularly and this contract by Tasmania is a good development for me," he said.

"I am even hopeful of getting a contract with Sussex as it will mean I can continue my cricket in England in summer," he said.