Karachi, Nov 23 : Amid claims made by disgraced and suspended Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Asif that he was being approached by the “rebel” Indian Cricket League (ICL) with a lucrative offer, reliable sources have said that Asif was simply blackmailing the PCB by spreading false rumours about the “ICL offer”.

A source close to former Pakistan captain Moin Khan, who is the sole ICL recruiting agent in the country, said that the rebel league had no intentions of signing up the dope-tainted Pakistan pacer.

Asif is presently locked in an expensive legal battle to avoid a possible two-year ban after testing positive for a banned drug while playing in the official Indian Premier League (IPL) this May.

Bangalore, Nov. 22 : England cricket captain Kevin Pietersen has warned that the one-day international to be played at Guwahati, could also be decided by the Duckworth-Lewis rules, as bad light could curtail play.

Guwahati is the venue for the sixth one-dayer on November 29.

"They [the authorities] will have to do something about Guwahati. We are going to start there at 8.30 a. m. but that will still not make too much of a difference. It could get dark there by 3.30 p. m.," Cricinfo quoted Pietersen, as saying.

Guwahati is located in the north east and the sun sets earlier in the region than elsewhere in India.

Karachi, Nov 22 : Temperamental Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who is looking for a successful Test return, has received a shot in the arm in the form new chief selector Abdul Qadir.

Given Shoaib’s past track record — his habit of flirting with controversy and a knack for picking up injuries — Qadir still says Shoaib is a big asset for Pakistan cricket.

“Shoaib Akhtar is an asset. He is a wicket-taking bowler, who still has a lot to offer to Pakistan cricket,” The News quoted Qadir, as saying.

Lahore, Nov 22: The father-in-law of banned Pakistani opener Imran Farhat, Muhammad Ilyas, has been appointed by the PCB as chairman of the national junior selection committee.

Illyas, a former opener, has played 10 official and unofficial Tests, with a combined average of 43.2 for Pakistan.

Farhat is currently playing with his brother Humayun in the ICL.

Brisbane, Nov. 22 : A struggling Australian opener Mathew Hayden appears to be seriously considering possible retirement from international cricket after his 100th Test.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Hayden has spent considerable time mulling his options over the past year, and while he insists the fire within still burns, he seems to know that at 37, his playing days are close being over.