KARACHI, Dec 19: Former captains Inzamam-ul-Haq and Rashid Latif on Friday asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to lift the ban imposed on Pakistan players aligned with the Indian Cricket League after the BCCI cancelled its team’s Test tour to Pakistan.

Inzamam and Rashid both urged the PCB to lift the ban imposed on the Pakistan’s ICL players from playing domestic cricket.

“Our cricket is facing problems and I see no purpose now of having bans on the players who have contracts with the ICL. The [cricket] board needs to give a strong response to Indian cricket,” Inzamam said.

Rashid supported Inzamam, saying India had shown it had no sympathy for Pakistan cricket by cancelling its Test tour.

“If India cannot support us at this time when they know Pakistan cricket is facing so many problems due to refusal of teams to tour, then why should the board support their stance on the ICL?” Rashid asked.

“Why should our board support them in any way? The best answer is to lift the ban on the ICL players from this season onwards,” he suggested.

The PCB had banned around 18 players including Inzamam and senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf from playing domestic cricket because of their contracts with the ICL.

Inzamam said Pakistan now needs to start arranging more away series to offset the problems of teams not touring Pakistan.

“Whether we like it or not we should be well prepared and have a contingency plan in place to avoid being left without any cricket,” Inzamam stated.

—Agencies