DUBAI: Even as the draft for the second season of T10 League was set to take place here Monday, there were little likelihood of any Pakistan players, who constituted the bulk of players in the inaugural edition of the 10-over competition, being available.
Pakistani media quoted Ehsan Mani, the new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, as having said on Sunday that the PCB would not allow its players to participate until it was fully satisfied about the credibility of the event.
“I am holding back my position [on providing an NOC to the Pakistani players to participate in the T10] until I am fully satisfied with specifics on whose money is fueling this league,” Mani told reporters at the mid-innings break during the Pakistan-India Super Four match in the Asia Cup here on Sunday.
India thrashed their arch rivals by nine wickets in the game.
At the media briefing, Mani termed as ‘commendable’ BCCI’s policy of not allowing any of their stars to play in leagues other than the Indian Premier League.
The PCB has a duty to protect its players’ welfare, as well as its own reputation, Mani said.
“There is a proliferation of these franchises and leagues, and we have to be very, very selective.”
“The PCB already has a policy in principle that no player can play in more than one league apart from the PSL,” he noted.
Sarfraz Ahmed, who captains Pakistan in all three international formats, was also in charge of Bengal Tigers in the first T10 League, in Sharjah last year.
Mohammed Amir was the first player drafted in that competition, and a number of other leading Pakistani players also featured.
The league was hit by controversy last week when Salman Iqbal, its president, resigned, citing a lack of transparency and warning Pakistan players to avoid being involved.
And Mani has reservations over the funding of the league, which is a private enterprise sanctioned – rather than run directly – by the Emirates Cricket Board.
He suggested the PCB would be more willing to release its players for a competition such as the ECB’s new UAE T20x, as it is run by an ICC member board, provided it does not clash with Pakistan cricket.
“I will first satisfy myself that we have enough information on the T10 before we release our players,” Mani said.
“We have to be satisfied where the money is coming from. We have to be satisfied who the sponsors are, we have to be satisfied who the franchisees are. None of this information exists in any file in the PCB today.
“Until we are satisfied there are no risks to the players, the board, or our reputation, no player will play.
“We are having discussions with ICC on this, and if they can give us assurances they do not have an issue with the T10, then I will not have an issue.”
