Pakistan's Speedster Akhtar urges PCB to launch Twenty20 league by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Player:

Shoaib Akhtar

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DateLine: 16th December 2008

 

Speedster Shoaib Akhtar said on Tuesday that a lucrative Pakistani Twenty20 league would kick-off the hesitancy of overseas teams to tour the country for security reasons.Akhtar urged the country's cricket board (PCB) to start its own professional league similar to the multi-million dollar Twenty20 Indian Premier League launched this year. "We need to find our own solution or else cricket will die in Pakistan," the paceman told media. "We should have our own twenty20 professional league. The money is there and that is one way to get foreign players to play in our country.I know personally there are rich individuals and corporates in Pakistan and abroad willing to invest money into such a deal because cricket has big commercial pull in Pakistan."

 

Akhtar, who indicated England on returning to India for their test series following the Mumbai militant attacks, said Pakistani players have been frustrated by the lack of opportunities to play international cricket this year. "We have played no tests this year and teams always have issues with the security coming to Pakistan," he said. "The Indians and other teams need to show the same respect (shown by England) for our cricket and play in our country if our government is giving them security assurances."

 

Akhtar is appearing in the national one-day championship organised due to the lack of game time and added that despite suffering disciplinary and fitness problems this year, he wanted to continue playing till the 2011 World Cup. "I am working hard on my fitness and I am going to nurse myself through matches. If I can do that properly I see myself completing 400 wickets in one-dayers and playing until the next World Cup," the 33-year-old said.

 

An appeal by Akhtar against an 18-month ban and seven million rupees ($86,515) fine imposed by the PCB this year is pending in the Lahore high court. He has been able to continue playing after the court suspended the ban until the appeal was finalised.