Bar players unwilling to tour Pakistan from PSL: Ajmal

Pakistani players Saeed Ajmal and Faisal Iqbal on Friday said international cricketers, who are unwilling to tour Pakistan with their respective national sides owing to security concerns, should be barred from the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Both the players expressed disappointment at the pullout of 10 Sri Lankan players from the forthcoming ODI and T20 series in Karachi and Lahore.

"I was very hurt when these Sri Lankan players backed out of the tour because the security situation in our country has improved a lot... Our board or government would never ask anyone to play in Pakistan unless they were not sure they could provide the best security environment," star spinner Ajmal said on the GSports show on GNews channel.

Saeed and Faisal both urged the PCB to adopt a stronger stance on teams or refusing to tour Pakistan.

"I think those Sri Lankan players or foreigners who can come for the PSL matches should also tour with their national teams. And if anyone refuses to come with their teams they should not be included in the PSL draft," Saeed agreed with Faisal's assertion.

Off-spinner Ajmal, whose international career ended after the ICC questioned his bowling action, said Pakistani players never refused to go to Sri Lanka citing such reasons.

"It hurts because we have had plenty of international cricket and PSL matches in Pakistan in the last two years."