The mass exodus of Bangladeshi players to the Indian Cricket League (ICL) is giving jitters to the PCB.
KARACHI: The mass exodus of Bangladeshi players to the Indian Cricket League (ICL) is giving jitters to the PCB, which is keeping a close tab on leading Pakistani cricketers to prevent them from joining the rebel twenty20 series.
The Pakistan Cricket Board was, till recently, was not too concerned about the ICL as it believed that the players who wanted to join the rebel league were already with it and no other would dare follow suit fearing a life ban.
But after the exodus of 13 Bangladesh players, many of whom are current members of the national team, the PCB has been shaken out of its complacency.
"Even when unconfirmed reports came out that senior batsman, Mohammad Yousuf was considering joining the ICL at the cost of his Pakistan career, the board officials were not too worried as the feeling is that the ICL has done the damage it could have to Pakistan cricket by signing on nearly 16 players," one source said.
"But it is now taking seriously, reports that the ICL might be on the verge of signing some more players from Pakistan to give their league a more competitive feel.
"They have also have made it clear to Yousuf that he will be banned immediately like the other rebels if he tries to enter into any new agreement with the ICL which is not recognised by any Test playing nation," the source added.
Yousuf has dismissed reports that he was considering joining the ICL.
"No such thing is going to happen and all these reports are rubbish. If I wanted to play in the ICL I would not have dropped their contract in the first instance," Yousuf said.
Yousuf is currently entangled in a legal battle with the ICL which has obtained a stay order from a arbitrator in Mumbai stopping him from playing for any rival league.
Reports said Yousuf has been in touch with ICL stalwarts in Pakistan, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Moin Khan asking them to barter out an out of court settlement with ICL.
But Yousuf strongly denied this and said he would be going to Mumbai in November to plead his case before the arbitrator.
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