Akmal seeks PCB clearance to play in Bangladesh

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Discarded wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has sought permission from PCB to play in the 50-over Bangladesh Premier League after the board last week stopped its national players from participating in the competition.

Kamran said since he was not in the Pakistan team he had sought clearance from the PCB to play in the league.

"I have sought clearance since I am not required for national selection and there is no domestic event planned immediately," said Kamran.

"I want to go and play in the Bangladesh League as it will help my cricket and give me foreign exposure," he added.

The 29-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman has been out of favour with the national selectors and the Pakistan Cricket board since his last appearance in the 2011 World Cup.

But the experienced cricketer has been playing in the domestic circuit and has done well in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy for his side, National bank.

"I am confident that I will be able to leave for Bangladesh next week after getting PCB clearance," he said.

The chief operating officer of the PCB, Subhan Ahmad on Monday said that the board had immediately stopped those players from going to play in the Bangladesh league, who were required for the Test series against England.

"It is going to be a long and hard series and our players have been playing lot of international cricket in the last four months. So basically we don't want them to burn out and get fatigued," he said.

The PCB refused permission to Younis Khan, Muhammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Abdul Rehman and Shoaib Malik to go and play in the Bangladesh league and have also kept other players, who have been offered the contracts, on hold.

Kamran said he was keen to play in the Bangladesh league since the Asia Cup would be held in the country and he was hoping to make a comeback to the national team by then.

"I am just focusing on playing as much cricket as I can because you never know when your luck can change for the better," he said.