Image Credit- AP
The Emirates Cricket
Board (ECB) is looking into whether Usman Khan’s announcement of his intention
to play for Pakistan violates the terms of his agreement with the UAE team.
The ECB is reviewing the issue to determine whether there may have been
contract violations with the board as well as with the white-ball leagues in
which he participated as a local player while in the United Arab Emirates, such
as the T10 and the ILT20.
The review’s final decision, which will be made in the upcoming two weeks, may
have a big impact on Usman. It’s known that he might be barred from playing
league cricket in the United Arab Emirates, which would deny him access to the
highest paying matches of his career.
The player’s work
permit, under which he has resided in the United Arab Emirates to fulfil the
residency requirement in order to be eligible to play international cricket for
the UAE, is also expected to be affected if a breach of contract is found to have
occurred. He still has 14 months remaining to meet this requirement.
Usman, for his side, contests that he has violated any contract and that his
contract provides an escape provision with a thirty-day notice period. It is
reported that he is willing to accept any punishment the ECB imposes on him and
that he couldn’t resist the temptation of playing for Pakistan when the PCB
called him following the PSL.
Usman answered in
the yes when the PCB questioned if he still wanted to play for Pakistan. He was
included to the Pakistan camp on Monday. The PCB is using this camp to work
with the Pakistani military in an effort to increase player fitness. In
anticipation of a five-match T20I series against New Zealand next month, the
PCB is hoping to quickly integrate him into the Pakistani team after he
connected with the camp on Sunday night.
Usman’s choice is
based on weighing the financial benefits of being a self-employed T20
specialist associated with the United Arab Emirates against the allure of
competing in the biggest events in the world, such the T20 World Cup in June,
where he seems certain to qualify with Pakistan. For the time being, it seems
that he has selected the former over the latter, but a lot will depend on how
the ECB reviews the situation.