Irfan Pathan signs up for CPL players' draft

He is the only Indian player to have signed up for the draft that has seen a record number of 536 players from 20 countries making themselves available. © Getty

Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has signed up for upcoming Caribbean Premier League players' draft that is set to take place in London on May 22. If picked up by any franchise, Irfan will become the first Indian cricketer to play in an overseas T20 league, which will be subject to clearance from the BCCI.

The Indian cricket board has always been opposed to the idea of Indian players participating in overseas T20 leagues over the years and Irfan would need an NOC in order to play the tournament. The 34-year-old has not featured in the Indian Premier League in the last two editions with his most recent appearance coming for the now defunct Gujarat Lions in the 2017 campaign. Earlier this year, the veteran played for Jammu and Kashmir in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament picking up four wickets in five games.

He is the only Indian player to have signed up for the draft that has seen a record number of 536 players from 20 countries making themselves available to play in the tournament. "The fact that so many players have registered for our draft is a testament to the stature of our league," Michael Hall, the Hero CPL tournament Operations Director, said.

"Playing cricket in the Caribbean is something that all players look forward to, and the CPL combines that allure with a high standard of cricket. We expect that this year's tournament will be no different."

The tournament is scheduled to take place from September 4 to October 12 after getting postponed in order to avoid clashes with India's tour of the West Indies.