By IANS,
Karachi : Pakistan’s Indian Cricket League (ICL) rebels are unlikely to return to international cricket with this June’s World Twenty20 Championship in England.
ICL has refused to give them an unconditional clearance which is required by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) before it can draft them back in the national team, sources said.
Sources said that the ICL management has made it clear that it would not issue any clearance to the players employed by it but has informed the PCB that it can release the players for national duty whenever required.
However, that assurance is not enough because the PCB is seeking a proof that the players are no longer associated with the unofficial league before it can take any concrete steps to bring them back in the Pakistan team.
The PCB has kept all-rounder Abdul Razzaq and pacer Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and opener Imran Nazir on standby for the World Twenty Championship but has said that it will only include these players in the final squad of 15 once cleared by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
A total of 20 Pakistani cricketers had joined the rebel ICL which is now going through a financial crunch. There were rumours that ICL might close shop because of the ongoing economic recession but its management has made it clear that it would hold the next ICL season in November this year.