29 April,2009 03:19 PM IST | | PTI
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.
Jay Mir, the President and CEO of American sports and entertainment group said in his interview that the event would go ahead from October 6 even if the ICC refuses to sanction the event.
But Mir remained optmistic about the ongoing negotiations with the USA cricket association.
"As we move forward with our negotiations, it is worth mentioning that we have not received a rebel status as yet," Mir said.
"The ICC has advised the players and officials to stay away from the league until a concrete decision has been made and I think it is in the best interest of the USACA, APL and for the development of the game in USA, that this league is sacntioned," he said.
"However since we are not depending on the official go-ahead the first tournament will be held even if the USACA refuses to approve it," Mir said. Pakistan will be one of the teams in the six nation twenty20 tournament which will be played at a baseball park converted into a cricket ground.
Mir said that the APL had succeeded in recruiting Richard Hadlee as an executive consultant while also signing Graeme Hick, Nathan Astle, Adam Hollioake.
Mir said he was hopeful the USACA would support the APL which is following in the footsteps of the IPL.
"The reason behind ICL's failure was because they didn't have the backing of the national cricket board but I am sure the decision makers at the USACA are smart enough to understand that we also want to promote cricket in the United States and judging by the response we have had already I can only imagine how successful we can be in achieving this goal," he said.
