Karachi: Even as the Indian Premier League gets underway next week, many Pakistani players are still waiting for a firm answer from the IPL regarding the status of their participation in the Twenty20 event.

Pakistan cricketers like Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Salman Butt, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Sohail Tanvir and Umar Gul have asked the IPL to inform them about their existing status in the league.

"We are still waiting for a firm answer from the IPL or some documentary evidence which confirms whether our contracts have been frozen or terminated by the franchises and the IPL," Malik said.

"At the moment we don't know what is the status of our contracts. All we know is what we read in the media. There is also the issue of money matters to be sorted out," Malik added.

The former Pakistan skipper said either the IPL should let the players know in writing the status of their contracts or allow them to play in the second edition of the league in South Africa.

After the Pakistan government said it would not allow its players to travel to India for the IPL because of the strained relations with India, the IPL franchises either froze or terminated contracts of their Pakistani players.

Rajasthan Royals for whom Kamran Akmal and Sohail Tanvir played last year have said they had suspended contracts of their Pakistani signings.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board has informed the IPL that while the Pakistan government had advised its cricketers against travelling to India due to security reasons, it had no objection in allowing its players to tour South Africa for the twenty20 tournament.

"Although the PCB is not directly involved with any of the players contracts with the IPL but we just want to help the players out if we can," a senior official told PTI today.

However, the official made it clear that the board had no role to play in getting the players their IPL contracts.

"But they requested us to speak to the IPL organisers and find out where they stand," the official said.