Pentangular Cup: Malik in, Kamran out
Pentangular Cup begins today with matches in Karachi, Islamabad.
KARACHI:
Discarded wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal will skip the Faysal Bank Pentangular Cup that kicks off today in Karachi and Islamabad.
Former captain Shoaib Malik, on the other hand, remained committed to participation in the tournament as he seeks to regain his form and a place in the national squad.
The opening day will see defending champions Sindh take on Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Karachi, while Punjab will face Federal Areas in Islamabad.
In order to ensure participation of top domestic players, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued conditional NOCs to those interested in playing next month’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) but Kamran, who was dropped from the national squad after the World Cup, confirmed where his interest lay.
“I have commitments with the BPL and the PCB has granted me permission to play in the event,” Kamran told The Express Tribune. “I want to have maximum participation in overseas events so that I can stay in touch with international cricket.”
Apart from Kamran, Mansoor Amjad and Ali Imran have also decided to withdraw from the event to play in the BPL.
A PCB official said the board was yet to clear players for the league but revealed that those who were not in contention for a place in the national team are likely to be granted permission.
Snubbed Malik wants to regain form
Malik, unlike Akmal, confirmed to The Express Tribune that he is looking forward to playing the entire tournament.
“I have returned from Bangladesh so that I can participate in the Pentangular Cup,” said Malik. “It is an important tournament for me.
“I’ll try to regain my form and a place in the national team. Playing for Pakistan remains my main aim.”
Correction: An earlier version of this post ran the headline: Kamran in, Malik out. The correction has been made.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2012.
Discarded wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal will skip the Faysal Bank Pentangular Cup that kicks off today in Karachi and Islamabad.
Former captain Shoaib Malik, on the other hand, remained committed to participation in the tournament as he seeks to regain his form and a place in the national squad.
The opening day will see defending champions Sindh take on Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Karachi, while Punjab will face Federal Areas in Islamabad.
In order to ensure participation of top domestic players, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued conditional NOCs to those interested in playing next month’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) but Kamran, who was dropped from the national squad after the World Cup, confirmed where his interest lay.
“I have commitments with the BPL and the PCB has granted me permission to play in the event,” Kamran told The Express Tribune. “I want to have maximum participation in overseas events so that I can stay in touch with international cricket.”
Apart from Kamran, Mansoor Amjad and Ali Imran have also decided to withdraw from the event to play in the BPL.
A PCB official said the board was yet to clear players for the league but revealed that those who were not in contention for a place in the national team are likely to be granted permission.
Snubbed Malik wants to regain form
Malik, unlike Akmal, confirmed to The Express Tribune that he is looking forward to playing the entire tournament.
“I have returned from Bangladesh so that I can participate in the Pentangular Cup,” said Malik. “It is an important tournament for me.
“I’ll try to regain my form and a place in the national team. Playing for Pakistan remains my main aim.”
Correction: An earlier version of this post ran the headline: Kamran in, Malik out. The correction has been made.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2012.