'PCB could be in trouble if players approach court'

The board has banned former captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Imran Farhat, Taufiq Umar, Shabbir Ahmed and Azhar Mahmood from playing domestic cricket after they returned after participating in the inaugural ICL tournament in India last month.

Except for Inzamam and Azhar all the other four players have been active on the domestic circuit and are employed in departments and banks on the basis of their cricketing abilities.

The players say if the ban on playing domestic cricket continues they could lose their jobs.

Qayyum who as a judge of the Lahore High Court headed the famous inquiry into match fixing in Pakistan cricket eight years ago said the players would be justified in approaching the court.

"The ban on them is not justified in legal terms. The board is basically stopping them from earning their livelihood which is the right of any Pakistani citizen," he said.

"It is a case of restraint of trade," he added.

The Attorney General also cautioned the PCB that his office was entitled and had the authority to ask the court to take sue motto notice of the ban on the players.

"If the players want they can approach our office for help. But we hope this matter is resolved amicably and the ban is lifted soon," Qayyum said.

He said Dr Nasim Ashraf who heads PCB appeared to be a sensible and fair man so he could not understand why he would resort to such a unjustified ban on the players.

"The ICL is just like any other private cricket tournament and since there are no contractual obligations between the board and these players how can they be told if they can go and play in the ICL or not," he said.

Farhat and the other players have accused the board of towing the line of the Indian Cricket Board which has launched its own Twenty20 Indian Premier League competition which is backed by the International Cricket Council.

The players are consulting on filing a petition against the PCB in court.