The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) is investigating the matter. Usman Khan’s decision to announce his intention to play for Pakistan is a breach of his contract with the UAE Board.
ESPNcricinfo understands that the ECB is reviewing the matter to assess potential breaches of contract not only with the board, but also with white-ball leagues played in the UAE as a local player, including the ILT20 and T10.
ECB sources told ESPNcricinfo that the review decision will be finalised in the next fortnight, which could have a significant impact on Usman. It is understood that he could face a ban from league cricket in the UAE, depriving him of the most financially lucrative cricket he has played in his career so far.
If a breach of contract is deemed to have occurred, it is also bound to result in the player’s work permit, under which he has lived in the UAE to meet the residency requirement to be able to qualify to play international cricket for the UAE; He still has 14 months before he meets that criterion.
On his part, Usman believes that he has not violated any contract, arguing that his contract includes an exit clause with a 30-day notice period. It is understood that he has resigned to whatever ban the ECB will impose on him and the allure of playing for Pakistan was tempting enough to turn him down when the PCB called him after the PSL.
The PCB asked Usman if he still wanted to play for Pakistan, to which he replied in the affirmative. On Monday, he was named in the Pakistan camp which is currently training with the Pakistan Army at the initiative of the PCB to boost the fitness of the players. He joined the camp on Sunday evening, and ESPNcricinfo understands that the PCB wants to include him in the Pakistan squad ahead of the five-match T20I series against New Zealand next month.
In an interview with ESPNcricinfo on the eve of the PSL final – in which he was the second-highest run-scorer – Usman spoke about the ease of getting an NOC to play in leagues around the world as a UAE player, while downplaying his chances of playing for Pakistan. , and the benefits of being considered a local player in the UAE’s limited-overs league. But events have moved quickly since then.
But given that he is yet to play international cricket for any country, the tug of war has broken out for a player who is at the peak of his skillset at the moment. The ECB’s decision to announce an immediate review has signalled that they are not willing to back down and that whoever they see as their player is not allowed to be hunted down from under their noses by the PCB.
For Usman, the decision hinges on the allure of playing in the world’s biggest tournaments – such as the T20 World Cup in June in which he wants to play with Pakistan – balanced against the lucrative nature of an independent T20 specialist in the United Arab Emirates. Although they appear to have chosen the former over the latter at the moment, a lot could depend on the outcome of the ECB’s review.