Pakistan veteran Mohammad Hafeez has questioned Pakistan Cricket Board for revoking NOCs issued to the national players to feature in the T10 league in Abu Dhabi this month.
Hafeez was one of the 15 players who were issued NOCs by PCB before those got cancelled and the cricketers were told to focus on the ongoing domestic season.
"First they issued the NOCs and now they have stopped it. I don’t understand. They should have a clear policy on leagues," the 39-year-old all-rounder was quoted as saying by PTI.
Read Also: PCB revokes NOC issued to Pakistani players ahead of T10 league
"I am not in the central contracts list, neither have I been selected in the Pakistan team, Nor do I have any provisional contract and I am also not playing first class domestic cricket so I do want to go and play in the league."
The change in plan on PCB's part has been widely criticised and even received backlash from the Emirates Cricket Board responsible for organisation of the T10 league.
It is understood, ECB vice-chairman Khalid Al Zarooni had sent a letter last week to PCB chairman Ehsan Mani reading that the decision be immediately taken back as it would hurt the UAE government’s stakes in the tournament.
Mani is then learnt to have told the ECB vice-chairman on the phone about the Prime Minister Imran Khan's role in the decision making. It was conveyed that ECB shall directly contact Khan over the issue.
ECB is now considering options, including raising the issue of government interference in the PCB’s affairs with the ICC.
One interesting thing in all this is that PCB's move has come after one of its Pakistan Super League franchises Lahore Qalanders became part of the T10 league as "Qalandars". Hafeez is part of the Qalandars' outfit.
"Either they stop every Pakistani from going to play in the league or allow anyone who wants to go. I play in leagues around the world and after all I am also answerable to the organizers," he said.
"If I will not go then no one goes but if the PCB allows anyone to go then I will also go because they first issued me a NOC."
Hafeez no longer holds a contract with PCB but every Pakistani cricketer is bound by contractual clauses for atleast six months after the contract has ended.
Big names like Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik and Imran Nazir were part of the country's players picks in the T10 draft.
(Inputs from PTI)
