LAHORE The Pakistan Cricket Board has stopped pacer Muhammad Asif from signing up for a short stint with English county Nottinghamshire, telling him to focus on national assignments instead. Reports attributed to the PCB said Asif had approached Chairman Ijaz Butt for permission to sign the contract but was told to focus on his career with Pakistan. Asifs agents had arranged a short term contract for him with Nottinghamshire which needed him to play for them after the Twenty20 World Cup until the start of Pakistans Test series in England in July, one source said. But when Asif was close to signing the contract he was told he could not play for Nottinghamshire. The reason we have decided against giving Asif permission to play in county cricket is because we want him to be fresh and super fit for the long tour to England. The selectors had genuine concerns there was a risk of Asif picking up an injury before Pakistans Test series starts in England, one source said. Asif, who has previously played for English county Leicestershire in 2006, was keen to play for Nottinghamshire as it would give him a chance to get used to English conditions before Pakistans Test series against Australia and England. The PCB recently included new clauses in the central contracts which specifically state that no player or his agent can enter into any contract with a foreign league without getting clearance from the Board. The PCB has also said that if a player was given permission to play in a foreign league, his contractual salary would be deducted for this period. The pacer said he was disappointed at not getting the permission to play for Nottinghamshire but it was not the end of the world. I accept whatever decision the board takes because eventually it is for my well being and they just want to be sure I dont develop any fitness problems playing in county cricket, I can understand that, Asif said. The PCB has not stopped other players from signing up for English counties including Rana Naved who is serving a 12 month ban from playing for the national team and Younus Khan who has been approached by Lancashire to play for them this season. Separate travel plan for Asif Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif will not be traveling with the team to Dubai as the bowler was banned from entering the UAE for carrying opium that led to his 19 days detention there. It has been learnt that Asif will most likely travel to Qatar to take a connecting flight to the West Indies to play in the World Twenty20 Championship while the other team members will go to Dubai to take the ICC chartered flight to the West Indies owning to the volcanic ash erupting out in Ireland that has hampered the travel plan of several flights going to Europe and England. However, the PCB, considering the ban on Asif from entering the UAE and has arranged his route a different route to avoid any problem.