KARACHI, 5 August 2007 — Pakistan cricketers Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Asif have turned down offers to play in the unofficial Indian Cricket League Twenty20 series.

The three told Reuters yesterday that playing for Pakistan was far more important for them and they had not been tempted by offers made by the ICL organizers.

“I got a very good offer but in the end I was not tempted as I have a few more years to give to Pakistan cricket which is far more important for me as a player,” Akhtar said.

Indian and Pakistan cricket boards have threatened to ban players who decide to play in the league which is not recognized by the International Cricket Council.

The league organizers have signed up recently retired West Indies skipper Brian Lara and also hope to lure Australians Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne out of retirement.

“I can’t let my people down and disappoint them. I have just started my career for Pakistan and I enjoy the feeling of performing for my country. Nothing, not even money, can match that,” Asif said.

• Pakistan’s cricket chief yesterday said he was happy that players had turned down lucrative offers to join a breakaway Indian league, saying it showed their patriotism.

“We had faith on our players that they will not join the Indian league,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Nasim Ashraf told reporters.

Seven current players — captain Shoaib Malik, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif, Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq — were offered lucrative contracts to play the Twenty20 tournament.

Any defections could have hit Pakistan cricket hard as league matches coincide with the important home series against South Africa in October and with their tour of India a month later.

Ashraf said, however, that the ICL was not a big issue with him.

“I was least bothered because I know my players and was sure that they would not join any league which is neither accepted by the Indian board nor by the International Cricket Council.” Akhtar, Asif and Afridi were the first to turn down ICL offers, while Ashraf said Younis had also informed him that he had rejected an approach. “Younis was made the offer in England where he is playing county cricket but he told the official who contacted him that he is happy playing for his employers Habib Bank and for Pakistan.

Shoaib, Asif Clear

Pakistan Dope Tests

Pacemen Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, who returned positive dope tests last year, were among a batch of Pakistani cricketers to clear their latest screens, an official said yesterday. “Akhtar and Asif are among 26 players who have cleared these tests for which we asked urgent reports from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory in Malaysia,” PCB director of communications Ahsan Malik told AFP. The tests were conducted Monday and Tuesday.

Akhtar and Asif were the focus of attention when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to conduct these tests ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in September in South Africa. The new-ball partners tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone in tests conducted internally in Pakistan before the ICC Champions Trophy last year. They were withdrawn from the Pakistan team for the tournament.

A PCB doping tribunal banned Akhtar for two years and Asif for one year, but the bans were controversially overturned by an internal tribunal on appeal.

Pakistan also conducted pre-World Cup tests in February in which Akhtar and Asif did not appear. The duo was then pulled out of the World Cup due to injuries on the day the team left for the West Indies.

Pakistan suffered a humiliating exit from the World Cup after a three-wicket loss to first-timers Ireland.

Malik said the PCB expected all tests to be negative in accordance with its zero tolerance policy on doping.

Three of the players —Younis Khan, Danish Kaneria and Yasir Arafat — are currently in England playing county cricket and have been tested abroad, Malik said.

Pakistan is due to announce its squad for the Twenty20 World Cup next week.

Pakistan probables are attending a tune-up camp which concludes here tomorrow. The team’s new coach, Australian Geoff Lawson, is due to join them on August 20.

Lawson replaces Bob Woolmer who died during the World Cup in March.

Pakistan will open the Twenty20 World Cup against Scotland on September 12 before meeting arch rivals India two days later.