© AFP
Karachi:
Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf is sticking to his stance of not giving his retirement from international cricket in writing to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to get a NOC to play in the Masters Cricket League later this month. (Pakistan Cricketers Retire En Masse to Get NOC For Masters Champions League)
The PCB has announced a policy for its cricketers under which players wishing to play in the MCL have to obtain a NOC.
Under the questionable policy, players have to sign a letter to announce retirement from international cricket, which would be irrevocable in the future in order to play in the MCL.
“I am already out of the Pakistan team and haven’t played top class cricket for a while now so what is the purpose of me announcing any retirement,” the 40-year-old Yousuf said.
Ironically, he had said the same thing in 2013 when media reported he had announced his retirement from international cricket.
“I haven’t even played domestic cricket for a while now and it is five years now since I played for Pakistan,” Yousuf said.
Yousuf last played for Pakistan in an ODI against South Africa in Abu Dhabi in November, 2010. But many of the other players who have signed contracts with the MCL have bowed to the PCB policy.
Allrounder Abdul Razzaq, Yasir Hameed Hasan Reza all Pakistan players and have also reportedly submitted their retirements to the PCB. In Razzaq’s case, he is also signed on as a supplementary player with the Lahore Qalander franchise in the Pakistan Super League which will clash with the MCL in the UAE from February 4 to 14.
The Pakistani players who signed on for the MCL include Abdul Razzaq, Saleem Elahi, Mohammad Yousuf, Saqlain Mushtaq, Rana Naved, Taufiq Umar, Yasir Hameed, Mushtaq Ahmed, Azhar Mehmood, Hasan Raza, Humayun Farhat, Mohammad Khalil.
Source: NDTV