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IPL snubs Pak players

IPL chairman Lalit Modi refused to read too much into the matter, but a couple of team owners said they did not opt for the Pakistanis because they were not sure of their availability.

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That a frosty cricketing relation between India and Pakistan continues was apparent at the Indian Premier League (IPL) III auction: none of the eight franchises bid for the 11 Pakistani players, including the stars of last year’s T20 World Cup win, in the pool.

IPL chairman Lalit Modi refused to read too much into the matter, but a couple of team owners said they did not opt for the Pakistanis because they were not sure of their availability.

“Many other players remained unsold. I don’t read too much into this,” said Modi. But Shilpa Shetty, a stakeholder in Rajasthan Royals, pointed out, “We were not convinced about their availability and that’s why we did not want to take any risk. If someone is not going to be available, why bid for him?”

“Availability was the key issue. We were not sure about that,” added Kings XI Punjab owner Ness Wadia.

The general perception was that the team owners avoided ‘risk’ because of prevailing uncertainty between India and Pakistan.
In Pakistan, cricketers and politicians hit out at India. “The way I see it, the IPL and India have made fun of Pakistan and our players,” said T20 skipper Shahid Afridi.

“We are the T20 world champions and for me the attitude of the franchises was disappointing. I feel bad for the Indian people who, I am sure, wanted to see us play in the IPL this year.”

“I am very disappointed,” said all-rounder Abdul Razzaq. “This is a conspiracy to malign us... It was their plan.”

Pakistan’s sports minister Ejaz Jhakhrani said Pakistani cricketers were the best in the world, adding, “It looks like a conspiracy by India to give such treatment to our stars.”

But the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was guarded in its reaction.
“It’s hugely disappointing. We were told that our players would be considered at the auction. That was the reason why we released the 11 players,” PCB chairman Ijaz Butt told DNA. “We are surprised that none of our players was taken.”

He said the PCB would take up the issue with the IPL and the
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). “We have been trying to contact Modi and other BCCI officials. We will try to find out the reason,” Butt said. Asked if anyone issued an instruction to the IPL owners to boycott the Pakistan players, he said: “I’m not aware of such a thing.’

The auction pool included such Pakistani stars as Umar Gul, Mohd Amer, Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal, besides Afridi.

-- With inputs from agencies

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