Pakistani players will be part of IPL 4: Modi

By Rahul Bajaj
for Cricketain.com

Published: February 19, 2010

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Karachi: Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi has said in an interview to a Pakistani news channel that players from India’s neighbouring country have always been welcomed in India and its just plain foolish to even think that there was some sort of a conspiracy in the Pakistani players not being picked for the third season of IPL.

“We have always welcomed Pakistani cricketers in India and they will be part of IPL season four,” Modi told the Geo news channel.

Modi said that Pakistani cricketers would play in IPL season four and would hopefully be part of the two new franchises that would be included in the next IPL season. “But I think the Pakistan cricket Board also needs to adopt a positive mindset towards the IPL… we have always welcomed Pakistani cricketers to India,” he said.

The Indian Premier League commissioner also added it was a misconception that the Indian cricket board was behind the decision of franchises not to bid for Pakistani cricketers in the player’s auction for season three.

“We can’t force the franchises to bid for players from any country in the player’s auction. It is their team and they are free to decide which players they want. How can anyone blame the BCCI for this?” Modi added.

Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ejaz Butt recently told a Senate standing committee on sports hearing that Modi had told the franchises not to bid for Pakistani players as they were lot of security issues linked to them playing in India. Pakistan had also described the IPL snub to its players as a deliberate attempt to humiliate them after including them in the player’s auction list.

Pakistan speedster Sohail Tanvir, who was the top performer for Rajasthan Royals, the winners of the first IPL season, also said he could not see any logic in Pakistani players not being picked at the auction.

“Forget about me, I am not in the top category of players but tell how can any franchise not bid for experienced T20 specialist performers like Shahid Afridi or Umar Gul or for an exciting young talent like Umar Akmal at the players auction, obviously there was something fishy about the whole thing,” Tanvir told PTI.

He also admitted that not being able to play in the IPL season three was a big disappointment for him. “I was the best bowler of the first tournament and I want another opportunity to prove to everyone that performance was not a fluke. I am eager to play in the IPL once again whenever possible,” Tanvir added.

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