Pak court suspends ban on ICL-affiliated players

Karachi:

The Sindh High Court has suspended a ban on Pakistani cricketers affiliated with the rebel Indian Cricket League to play in domestic cricket.

Justice Ameer Hani Muslim on Monday suspended the ban imposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board on the players since late 2007.

"The court has set February 10 for the next date of hearing and asked the Board to reply as to under which law they have stopped these cricketers from playing in domestic cricket," the players legal counsel, Zahid Ibrahim said.

He said until a further order from the court the players can play domestic cricket matches.

The PCB has maintained a domestic and international cricket ban on nearly two dozen players many of whom have played for the national team after they joined the ICL.

The players include big names like Inzamam-ul Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Sami, Rana Naved, Saqlain Mushtaq, Naved Latif, Hasan Raza, Taufeeq Umar, Imran Nazir, Shahid Nazir etc.

Zahid Ibrahim is representing all the players in the case with the exception of former Test opener Imran Farhat whose father-in-law is presently the chairman of the national junior selection committee.

The players legal counsel had recently sent a letter to the Board asking it to explain the ban on the players but after an unsatisfactory response a case has been filed in the Sindh High Court.

A senior official of a top department which employs several ICL players said if the court had given a ruling they had no choice but to abide by the orders.

"The players can appear in the next round of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy," he said.