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'We’ve missed an opportunity,' says Javed Miandad

I hope that with the 2011 World Cup around the corner, relationships between the two countries will only improve.

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It’s sad that a golden opportunity to nurture sporting ties between the two countries has been allowed to pass. By not picking any Pakistan players, the Indian Premier League team owners have missed an opportunity to show to the world that sport and politics needn’t always be inter-linked.

I hope that with the 2011 World Cup around the corner, relationships between the two countries will only improve.

It is disappointing that none of the 11 Pakistan players were sold or rather no team showed any intention of buying them. These are some of the finest Twenty20 players and one must also keep in mind that Pakistan are the reigning World Champions.

Now, all sorts of theories and excuses are floating around as to why none of the teams bought Pakistan players, though some of them including Kamran Akmal, Sohail Tanveer and Shahid Afridi were considered hot buys in the first auction.

Conspiracy theories will sprout because no cricketing logic can be attached to shunning of some of the world’s best players.

At a base price of $250,000, Afridi was more than value-for-money. Umar Akmal, one of the best young talents to come out of Pakistan, had a base price of $100,000. By not picking him, IPL owners have shown that they aren’t here to promote talent but only to pack their team with established stars.

The excuse made of the non-availability of Pakistan players being the reason for them not attracting bids isn’t one of a visionary. We can’t predict the future so how can we say if these players will be available or not.

By buying Pakistan players, the franchisee owners could have shown to the world that they were large-hearted enough to pick them in spite of the possibility of these players, god forbid, not being available to travel to India. At the end of the day, this isn’t only about money alone and sport is not just about winning on the field but winning off it too.

The Pakistan players had obtained NoCs. Pakistan’s players were keen to play and give their best. I believe that none of the players would have agreed to be part of the auction if they even had inkling that this was the way they would be treated. These players are priceless and are jewels of Pakistan.

What is worse is that there are some players; I don’t want to name them, who are getting hundreds of thousands of dollars though they are not even half as good as Pakistan’s players.

I understand that there is tension between the two countries but I’ll find it hard to believe that the people of India don’t want Pakistan players to play in India.

Pakistan players have always been loved and respected in India and in spite of all the political tension I think Indian fans would have cheered performances by Pakistan players. I hope cricketing relations between the two countries don’t break down now.           

The Former Pakistan skipper and ex-coach, spoke to Nihal Koshie

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