The Economic Times

Lahore, Mar 11: Pakistani cricketers who have joined the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) will not be allowed to play first-class cricket.

"They are cricketers and useful only if they play for us," The Dawn quoted Abdul Raquib, a member of the Governing Board and official of Habib Bank Limited (HBL), as saying.

"We are following a wait and see policy and no decision has been taken as yet about the future of such players," he said.

"Five of our players have joined the ICL and we are following the PCB's instructions by not including them in any of the first-class matches. I admit all five players are useless for HBL, but we are following a wait and see policy," Raquib added.

According to some reports, the PCB may have backed the policy of banning ICL's cricketers, but this issue might be taken into consideration at the board's next meeting on March 22.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has not recognised the ICL, and its affiliated cricket boards, have also adopted the same policy of not allowing their cricketers to play first-class cricket.

The concerned players were to take legal action against the ban, but they have delayed it in the hope that a change in the political set up in Pakistan might resolve the issue out of court.

Inzamam-ul-Haq, Imran Farhat, Taufiq Umar, Mohammad Sami, Abdul Razzaq, Shabbir Ahmed, Azhar Mahmood, Hasan Raza, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan along with several other Pakistani players have joined the ICL.