The Pakistan cricket Board has made it clear it would not give a free hand to
players to sign county contracts in the near future.
A senior board official said that recently the board had not permitted pacer Rao
Iftikhar to accept a contract offered by Gloucestershire for 2008.
"We know some of our players are in demand in English cricket. Although
we have not finalized any policy as yet but we are clear that first and foremost
national duty and requirements will take precedence over everything else,"
Shafqat Naghmi, chief operating officer of the board said today.
Naghmi said when players approached the board for permission
to play county cricket, the PCB said if it gives permission only after
seeking guarantees that the player is not overburdened with workload.
"But personally we will not encourage county signings," he said.
Pakistani players Danish Kaneria already has a two-year contract with
Essex while Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul have also been made fresh
offers. Yasir Arafat is another bowler who has played regularly for Scotland
and Kent in recent years.
Sources in the board said the issue would be discussed at the next governing
body meeting in January as the feeling was the players gained nothing professionally
by playing in England where the standard of county cricket was not high.
Naghmi said one reason why the board was improving the financial
incentives for players in the domestic matches was to discourage its players
from signing long-term league and county contracts.
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