By IANS,
Karachi : Former Pakistan captain Moin Khan hopes that the new office-bearers of the Pakistan Cricket Board will lift the ban on players playing in the Indian Cricket League (ICL).
Moin, who is coach of Lahore Badshahs, the only Pakistani team to play in the ICL, said the players have every right to earn their livelihood.
PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf has quit his post after the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf and a new set-up is expected to take over in September.
“All players featuring in the ICL are professional cricketers and they are not breaking any law. They are just earning their livelihood. So why ban them. I hope the new set-up will be more flexible on the issue,” Moin told IANS.
Badshahs failed to win the ICL despite starting the event with a bang in the last edition, but Moin is confident of claiming the title this season when the league gets underway from Oct 10.
“Our players are mostly playing county or league cricket in England and would be fully match fit for the next ICL season,” said Moin.
“The players who are in Pakistan are training regularly,” he added.
Badshahs were the firm favourites to win the ICL T20 title in April but lost to Hyderabad Heroes in the semifinal at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in Hyderabad.
The Badshahs, led by former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq, include a number of Pakistani Test players including Imran Farhat, Mohammad Sami, Taufeeq Umar, Mushtaq Ahmed and Rana Naved-ul-Hassan.
Moin rejected speculation that two teams from Pakistan will play in the ICL next season. “It would be just Lahore Badshahs from Pakistan,” he said.
A few other players including experienced Pakistan allrounder Abdul Razzaq and pacer Shabbir Ahmed might play for other teams.