Pravin Tambe, the 48-year-old leg-spinner from Mumbai, has claimed that Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) – a franchise co-owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan – has picked him up for the upcoming season of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
“I am fit and since the BCCI does not allow me to take part in its competitions why shouldn’t I play in other leagues. I am eligible to play outside and got picked by TKR. I will also take all necessary precautions and follow protocols before going there,” Tambe told the indianexpress.com.
“I am working on my physical fitness at home and so yes definitely looking forward to this edition,” he added.
Tambe now has to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) before playing in the CPL 2020. He ran into controversy after getting picked by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions, last year.
The IPL Governing Council had disqualified him for featuring in the T10 League in the UAE in 2018. As per the BCCI rule, only retired players are allowed to feature in overseas leagues.
Tambe had retired in 2018 to take part in the T10 League; however, last year he withdrew his retirement and played the Mumbai T20 League and registered his name for the IPL 2020 auction, where KKR bought him for his base price of Rs 20 lakh.
Tambe, who has played for IPL franchises like Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Lions, on his part is ready to follow all the necessary protocols. He could become the oldest player to take part in the CPL if he finally makes the cut.
The eighth edition of the CPL has been scheduled to be played between August 18 and September 10 behind closed doors in Trinidad and Tobago, after permission from the local government.
