Akhtar recently featured in the Cricket All-Stars Series

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Former Pakistan pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar has withdrawn from the Masters Champions League (MCL), a Twenty20 tournament for retired international cricketers that will be held in the United Arab Emirates in January.

Akhtar did not reveal why he had pulled out of the inaugural edition of the tournament, but said that he hopes the MCL is a huge success.

“Sorry to inform you guys that am pulling out from MCL league in Dubai. But good luck and my best wishes to MCL,” Akhtar tweeted on Saturday.

The MCL will consist of six teams and each side is allowed 15 players. As of now, Brain Lara, Adam Gilchrist, Wasim Akram, Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly and Jacques Kallis have been named the ‘icon’ players of the tournament.