Pakistan: PCB to clarify policy on county deals

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are to review their policy on internationals playing for English county sides.

A PCB executive board meeting is scheduled for March 8, when more strict guidelines are expected to be unveiled.

County side Glamorgan have expressed their interest in Shahid Afridi for Twenty20 fixtures but the PCB have decided not to release the all-rounder until the new policy is declared.

Shafqat Naghmi, the PCB's chief operating officer, confirmed a report was being prepared by the board's director of cricket operations, Zakir Khan, to be presented in the meeting, putting forward the pros and cons of sending players for county stints.

Naghmi told The News: "Zakir is working on the report and we are looking forward to settling this issue at the next executive board meeting.

"It is the executive board that would decide whether we could be lenient in awarding permission for county stint."

This is not the first time the PCB have intervened in the issue.

Paceman Rao Iftikhar Anjum was recently denied permission to sign a deal with Glamorgan, while fellow quicks Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul were advised to abandon thoughts of any county stints.

The new policy will also decide whether leg-spinner Danish Kaneria can play for Essex in the upcoming county season.