Shivnarine Chanderpaul: WICB denies claims it forced veteran cricketer to retire

New Delhi: Senior cricketer Shivnarine Chanderpaul's retirement controversy doesn't seem to die as the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has now claimed that it has not forced anyone to quit the game.

Earlier, the southpaw declared that WICB forced him to retire or else he would not be granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) that would allow him to participate in the Masters Champions League set for India in mid-February, report CMC.

"I was given a No Objection Certificate by the WICB with a clause in it that I retire on the 23rd. If I didn't announce my retirement they would have taken it back," Chanderpaul said on Tuesday from Dubai.

However, the WICB, in its statement on Tuesday refuted veteran batsman's claims.

According to the WICB, "the NOCs were granted on the basis that the players were well aware of their decisions to retire from international cricket and therefore allowing them to be eligible for participation in the inaugural tournament."

"The MCL is an approved tournament of the International Cricket Council and the rules clearly state that the participants, to be eligible, must have retired from international cricket."

Ageing 41-year-old was dropped from the West Indian squad for recent tours of Australia and Sri Lanka as he has been going through a poor patch with the willow.

Chanderpaul, who scored more than 11,000 Test runs, played his last series against England, where he managed mere 92 runs in six innings.