Australian all-rounder James Faulkner has been banned from future editions of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) after he abruptly left the tournament on Saturday citing payment disputes, though the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has denied the allegation.
Faulkner did not play the last three games of his Quetta Gladiators franchise and announced his shock withdrawal on Twitter.
"...unfortunately I’ve had to withdraw from the last 2 matches and leave the @thePSLt20 due to the @TheRealPCB not honouring my contractual agreement/payments," Faulkner said in the first of his two posts.
"I've been here the whole duration and they have continued to lie to me."
"It hurts to leave as I wanted to help to get international cricket back in Pakistan as there is so much young talent and the fans are amazing. But the treatment I have received has been a disgrace..." he added.
The PCB said they were "disappointed and dismayed" with the behaviour of Faulkner, who also played in the Abu Dhabi leg of the PSL last year.
"In the seven years of the HBL Pakistan Super League, no player has ever complained about the non-fulfillment of the PCB’s contractual obligations," the board said in a statement.
The PCB, who tried to reason with Faulkner on Friday, added that the player had been paid 70% of his contracted fee, while the remaining 30% was to be paid after the completion of the tournament, a matter that will be now be reviewed.
"In wake of the above, and taking serious note of Mr James Faulkner’s gross misconduct... it has been unanimously agreed by the PCB and the franchises that Mr James Faulkner will not be drafted in future HBL Pakistan Super League events," the statement said.
Afghanistan name Stuart Law as interim head coach for Bangladesh tour
Former Australian cricketer Stuart Law was on Saturday named the interim coach of the Afghanistan team ahead of its tour of Bangladesh for a limited over series.
The 53-year-old Law will take over from South African Lance Klusener, who had ended his association with the Afghanistan team in September last year after deciding not to renew his contract.
"Former Australian middle-order batter Stuart Grant Law has been named as the interim head coach of our national men's cricket team for the Bangladesh Series. He has already reached Bangladesh and will step up into the role of interim head coach ahead of the upcoming ODI and T20I series against side," ACB said in a statement.
"ACB has launched the recruitment process for hiring a new head coach and is looking forward to having the services of another reasonable option as the permanent head coach of Afghanistan for the upcoming events."
Law, who played a lone Test in 1995, featured in 54 ODIs from 1994 to 1999, scoring 1237 runs. He is the third all-time highest run-getter for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield.
He was Sri Lanka's interim coach before the 2011 World Cup and also had a stint as the head coach of Bangladesh in 2011-2012, leading the side to their first Asia Cup final. He was also West Indies' head coach on a two-year contract in 2017. He had also served as consultant with the Australian team in 2016.
Afghanistan National Team is currently undergoing a preparation and conditioning camp in Bangladesh ahead of the start of the ODI series against the home side.
The first of the three ODIs is scheduled to be played on February 23, with the 2nd and 3rd ODI to be played on February 25th and 28th. The two T20Is are scheduled for March 3rd and 5th respectively.
