LAHORE, Aug 11: In a dramatic development on the Pakistan cricket scene on Saturday, it emerged that veteran Pakistan players Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Abdul Razzaq along with opener Imran Farhat and middle-order batsman Asim Kamal may join the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

Sources told Dawn that all the five players were in touch with the organisers’ agent, a Karachi-based former Test wicketkeeper-batsman, and the negotiations on terms and conditions specially related to the financial package were in the final phase.

According to the sources, all the above mentioned players were inclined to join the breakaway league following the recent cold-shoulder treatment by the Pakistan cricket authorities.

Though Inzamam has made himself available for Test cricket despite his decision to retire from the ODIs, the PCB is not convinced about his match-fitness for the five-day format too.

Razzaq and Yousuf, meanwhile, are also disgruntled with the PCB after their recent axing from the Twenty20 World Championship squad.

They are among the four players who are yet to sign the central contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the next term of six months (July 1-Dec 31, 2007), the other two being Danish Kaneria and Younis Khan.

“We have delivered the central contract to all the remaining four players and have also extended the deadline for signing it (till Aug 15, 2007). Now it is up to them to take a decision,” said PCB’s Chief Operating Officer, Shafqat Naghmi.

“I will not make any comment specifically on the news about Razzaq considering joining the ICL but for all those players who intend to go for it (ICL), I would like to remind that they will be banned from Pakistan cricket,” he asserted.

“We will not stop anyone and we can’t do that, but the PCB has already announced its decision of banning such cricketers,” he emphasised.

Shafqat insisted that playing for the country gives the players respect as well as money which could have no other parallel and added that no one could predict a bright future for the ICL.

The sources say that while Razzaq has opted for ICL after realising his uncertain future with the Pakistan team, Imran and Asim have been disheartened by their continuous sidelining in international assignments.