Pakistan players asked to return from CPL and English County

The Pakistan cricketers who are currently participating in the CPL and English domestic season have been asked to come back to the country following a change in schedule. The ICC World XI series is to be played in mid-September, as it has been finalised lately, the players were asked to make a return.

During the annual meeting in June this year, the International Cricket Council had confirmed sending a World XI side for a three-match Twenty20 series to be held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, as a move to resume top flight cricket in Pakistan. The contracted players were given permission to play in the CPL and the English county subject to recall if the World series schedule gets reshuffled.

Here is what the statement has to say

“The centrally contracted players were given permission for participation in the CPL and English county season subject to recall if the World XI series took place mid September, they are now being recalled owing to the changes in schedule brought about due to the change in the original World XI tour of Pakistan plan,” PCB stated in a media release as per the quotes on cricbuzz.

“The series has been brought forward to mid-September instead of last week of September because the Punjab Government wants it to be held before the NA120 election on September 17. It can’t be held after September 17 because there is no time to both hold the series and also give National Coach Mickey Arthur time for training the team before the series starts with Sri Lanka on September 24,” the release added.

The cricketers will now be reporting to Pakistan chief coach Mickey Arthur for a fitness test at the National Cricket Academy on August 22, which will be followed by a training camp, conducted by the Pakistan team management, ahead of the ICC World XI T20 matches. It will be interesting to see if the ICC event can get back the game and the committed audience back to the nation.