March 30, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 21, 1429

KARACHI, March 29: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will not try to stop players from the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) taking part in English county cricket, a top board official said on Saturday.

“Our policy on the ICL players is clear. They are not contracted to us nor are they eligible to play in any tournament in Pakistan. But if they go and play county or shield cricket we can’t stop them,” Shafqat Naghmi, PCB’s Chief Operating Officer said.

“We have no legal or moral reason to stop ICL players from playing in any event in any other country apart from Pakistan,” he added. “If anyone in any other country wants to play them it is their decision.”

Around 16 players from Pakistan are appearing in the ICL, a Twenty20 event in its second year, at the moment. The PCB has banned ICL players from playing domestic cricket.

The ICL is bankrolled by the controllers of India’s largest listed media firm but has not been sanctioned by the ICC.

Meanwhile, PCB confirmed it had cleared former Test players Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Mushtaq Ahmed to play in English county cricket, despite them featuring in the ICL.

Mushtaq will play for Sussex and Naved for Yorkshire after the PCB gave them the go-ahead after initial reluctance following the duo’s appearance in the ICL.

Naghmi confirmed the move, saying: “We have responded to the counties for Naved and Mushtaq. We will not stop them from playing in counties because they are no more under PCB’s contract and our point of view with the counties is that if you want to play them it’s your will.”

Naved, who was a big success for Surrey before moving to Headingley for the coming season, said he was relieved at being allowed to play in the English season.

“I have maintained throughout the last few weeks that I would be allowed to play cricket for Yorkshire and that my participation in the ICL would not get in the way,” Naved said in a statement released by Yorkshire on Friday.

“I am not contracted to the PCB and could not see why they should wish to prevent me from playing the game I love in Yorkshire,” he added.

Naghmi denied the PCB has received any official complaint from the BCCI on allowing Naved and Mushtaq to feature in the English season.—Agencies