Pakistan Cricket Board allows Akhtar to play in English County Championship
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The Pakistan Cricket Board will allow fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar to play in the English County Championship.
"He (Akhtar) had requested for a No Objection Certificate, which we have issued to him, and we have no problems if he wants to play in county cricket," PCB chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Akhtar, who has not played first class cricket since a Test match against India in December, is expected to join English county Surrey, which is placed at the bottom of the Division 1 table with three matches to go.
"Akhtar has not played competitive cricket for months and he needs to regain match fitness," Naghmi said. "We believe a short county stint might help him in doing that."
The 33-year-old Akhtar has previously played for English counties Somerset, Worcestershire and Durham.
The fast bowler - known as "Rawalpindi Express" - had a troubled 2008 in which he managed to win selection in the Pakistan team for the Champions Trophy limited-overs tournament after a court in Lahore suspended his 18-month.
The International Cricket Council subsequently postponed the Champions Trophy for a year after four leading teams - England, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand - expressed security concerns over playing in Pakistan.
In the recent past, the PCB had strong reservations over its cricketers - especially fast bowlers - competing in county cricket. Over the last two years it has refused permission to pacemen Umar Gul and Rao Iftikhar to play in English County Championship.
"Akhtar's case is a bit different," Naghmi said. "He needs some matches to test his fitness."
No comments:
Post a Comment