LAHORE – There will be no place for Pakistan cricketers in the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) despite the resumption of bilateral ties between the two neighbouring countries, it has been learnt.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises reportedly said that there will be no Pakistani player included in the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament which is scheduled to be held in April-May 2013..
The list released by the Indian Premier League governing council to all the franchisee of 37 players to be auctioned in February 3, no Pakistani cricketers were included for the auction. Earlier according to the source, the franchises were interested to hire the services of Pakistani players in the auction after the cricket series revival between the two neighbouring country but the matter was shelved by the concerned authorities due to reasons best known to them, the source added. Some of the teams were actually eyeing them after seeing their performances in the last World Twenty20 Championship held in Sri Lanka.
Earlier, IPL chairman Shukla in a meeting with the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ch Zaka Ashraf had assured him of Pakistani players inclusion in the league but unfortunately no Pakistani player is included in a list containing players who will feature in the Indial Premier League (IPL) auction tentatively slated for February 3.
On the other hand, Indian Premier League authorities are still undecided over the venue for the auction. The auction was supposed to be held earlier from January 11 to 27 but due to dates clash with the India-England ODI series will be announced later.
It has also been learnt that at an IPL workshop recently conducted in Jodhpur (India), the franchises have been told categorically that no cricketer from the neighbouring country Pakistan will be part of the auction for the sixth edition of IPL. The workshop was conducted by the Indian Premier League chairman Rajiv Shukla and chief operating officer Sundar Raman, the report claimed.
Sources said that the BCCI was not interested for the Pakistan cricketers inclusion in the cash-rich tournament and the official refused to specify the reason for keeping the Pakistan cricketers out yet again. Sources also said that the Indian government had nothing to do with this decision. "There is no problem for buying Pakistan cricketers in the auction, but somehow there was no move from anywhere to include them for the auction," a franchisee owner said.