Pakistan batsman Mohammad Hafeez has signed for the 2015 Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and will play with the Dhaka Dynamites for the remainder of tournament, according to a report published on the ESPNCricinfo website.
He is expected to arrive in Bangladesh later tonight and will play his first match against Chittagong Vikings two days later.
Hafeez, who was overlooked by all five BPL teams during the initial draft, will now make a late entrance in the tournament which will enter the knockout stage on December 12.
His limited-overs form has been inconsistent during recently-concluded series against England in the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan lost the ODI series 1-3 and T20 series 3-0.
“We have signed a deal with Mohammad Hafeez for Dhaka and he will play his first match on December 8,” Moghees Sheikh, Hafeez's manager told ESPNcricinfo. “They [Dhaka] were not sure (earlier) about players' selection but now they have realised that they require him as he can be handful on his day on Bangladesh pitches.”
Hafeez had earlier claimed he turned down a Rs 10 million offer from Chittagong Vikings because he did not want to play alongside Mohammad Amir, who is returning to international cricket following his conviction in a 2010 spot-fixing case.
Read: I would have never let Amir play again, says Ramiz Raja
The former Pakistani captain was quoted as saying that he did not want to be in a team that also featured anyone who had brought disrepute to his country.
Later the Chittagong Vikings denied ever making an offer to Hafeez, saying the franchise had completed its foreign recruitments long back.
Hafeez, who was once again asked about the possibility of playing with Amir, remained defiant and solid in his view of not connecting himself with tainted players.
“When they say it and talk to me I will answer them accordingly,” he said. “For now, my personal view is that I can't play with such players in the same team. But if any player like him can come and play against me, I will surely play against them, but will not share the same dressing room in the same team which I am playing for.”
Also read: ‘Amir likely to be included in Pakistan ‘A’ squad for England Lions series’
On the other hand Amir's stellar performances in the domestic matches and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) have impressed the team management, earning him a spot in the Pakistan ‘A’ team for its Twenty20 series against England Lions.
