KARACHI: Pakistan yesterday refused Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal and Umar Akmal permission to play in Australia’s Big Bash Twenty20 competition, ordering them to prepare for next month’s tour of India instead.
The trio had all signed up to play in the Big Bash from next month, but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said they must take part in a domestic Twenty20 event being used to test players ahead of the matches against arch-rivals India. Afridi was due to play with Sydney Thunder while Ajmal had signed for Adelaide Strikers and Umar for Sydney Sixers but the PCB insisted they gear up at home for the hotly anticipated India tour.aFP
