PCB chief Zaka Ashraf is adamant that they took the right decision by not sending the national players for the Bangladesh Premier League after the BCB twice backed out of its commitment to tour Pakistan.
Ashraf said that the forthcoming Pakistan Super League will provide compensation to the players who were not given NOC’s to go to Bangladesh.
“The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is also the ideal alternative for reviving international cricket in the country if Bangladesh refuse to tour,” he told the “Express Tribune” newspaper.
“Bangladesh weren’t the last option as we have other alternatives to resume international cricket in Pakistan,” Ashraf said.
“We’re in the process of staging our own Twenty20 league where top foreign players will be taking part. Meanwhile, we’re also in discussion with some other countries about hosting their national teams,” he said.
According to Ashraf, the PCB has given continuous support to Bangladesh by allowing players to take part in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) with the understanding that in turn BCB would send its team to tour Pakistan.
“The PCB has been ditched twice by the BCB even though they promised to send their team, instead they changed their stance and as a result we decided against sending our players in the BPL,” he claimed.
The chairman said that the PSL would be on the board’s top priority list and they would double their efforts to make it a successive Twenty20 league, particularly by bringing top Test players from England, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka.
Just how upset the PCB is with the BCB’s stance was clear from the press release it issued on the subject.
In a strongly worded release, the PCB said that the BCB contacted Pakistan players directly instead of talking to the Board.
“As per practice and procedures in vogue, a home board has to approach the visiting players’ Board seeking release of its players for their domestic cricket competitions,” said the release.
“In the BPL’s case, the BCB, their representatives and the players’ agents were in contact with the Pakistan cricketers and the PCB was kept in the dark. Even the auction of Pakistan players at BPL was done without PCB’s prior permission. It is a cause of embarrassment when boards are bypassed and players are approached directly.”
But critics have pointed out that last year also the BCB had adopted the same procedure while signing on Pakistani players and the PCB should have objected than.
Interestingly, according to a well-informed source, some franchises have even approached a few players after the PCB decision and told them if they can play in the BPL, the taxes on their fees, would be waived and they would get an extra 20 per cent payment.
