Players may be banned for aligning with APL: PCB

The Pakistan Cricket Board has made it clear that players aligning with the proposed American cricket league will be courting trouble and may be banned from international cricket.     

A senior official said PCB would treat the proposed Twenty20 league as an 'unauthorized' tournament until it got the approval of the United States cricket body and the International Cricket Council.     

"Any player signing up for the APL until it is recognised by the home board or the ICC is courting trouble because after June 1 the ICC regulations on unauthorized events is very tough and players can be banned," he said to a question regarding PCB policy on the APL.      

The PCb warning came after the chief organiser of the APL told the "Dawn" newspaper today that the APL would go ahead in Statten Island, New York in October this year even if the ICC or the USA body didn't give it permission.      

The APL has signed up other players from the ICL and some big past names of the sport, including prominent Pakistani cricketers like former skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq, Rana Naved, Abdul Razzaq, Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat and Shabbir Ahmed to feature in its inaugural event in October this year.      

The ICC has released a memo to its members asking them to not allow their players to take part in the APL until such time it is authorised.