Pakistan bars cricketers from foreign competitions

Karachi:

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday barred members of its national squad from participating in cricket matches abroad without prior permission.

Several of Pakistan's 18-man World Twenty20 squad players were scheduled to play in private leagues in Bangladesh later this month but a PCB statement said "permission will be required to play abroad".

"PCB firmly conveys to all concerned that no player is allowed to play cricket outside Pakistan without having prior approval from the board in this regard," it said in a statement.

"Any player interested to play cricket in any part of the world should apply to the board to seek permission for the same," it added.

The announcement came a week after PCB banned and fined seven leading players on charges of indiscipline during the national team's tour of Australia in December-February.

Pakistan lost all three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match on the tour.

Former captain Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf were banned indefinitely on charges that their infighting affected team performance last year and during the tour of Australia.

Fellow former captain Shoaib Malik and all-rounder Rana Naved-ul-Hasan were banned for one year, while Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Umer Akmal were fined. Kamran and Afridi were also put on a six-month probation.

Afridi, Umer, Mohammad Hafeez and Abdul Razzaq -- all part of team for the World Twenty20 -- were scheduled to play in a domestic Twenty20 competition in Bangladesh.

The third edition of World Twenty20 will be held in the West Indies from April 30-May 16.