Sports News

Bangladesh's ICL exodus giving PCB the jitters KARACHI: The mass exodus of Bangladeshi players to the Indian Cricket League 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, 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 Bangladeshi 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 Mohammad Yousuf was considering joining the ICL at the cost of his international career, the board officials were not so worried as they thought 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 a matter of serious concern as some reports claim 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 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. "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. Reports said that 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.