Govt assures PCB of allowing cricketers to play in IPL

Islamabad:

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ejaz Butt has got verbal assurances from the government that it would have no objections regarding the national players travelling to India for the Indian Premier League next year.

After attending a hearing of the Public accounts committee here on Sunday, Butt said he had also spoken to IPL commissioner Lalit Modi last night.

"I had a fruitful discussion with Lalit Modi on the exact status of participation of the Pakistani players in the IPL," Butt added.

The PCB chief said he was personally keen to see maximum number of Pakistani players take part in the IPL next year.

"I also conveyed this to Modi and for this I have also spoken to the government which has verbally assured me they would not stop our players to go and play in the IPL if they got contracts from franchises," he said.

Butt said the view of the PCB and government was the same that if players were getting an opportunity to earn some money they should not be stopped from doing this.

Butt said he had discussed the system through which Pakistani players could play in the IPL and also inquired about the stance of the Indian authorities on allowing the players to take part in the lucrative league.

Butt disclosed that while Abdul Razzaq and Umar Gul had already been given NOCs for the IPL other players including Kamran Akmal, Sohail Tanvir, Muhammad Aamer had told him they wanted to play in the league.

The Pakistani players were unable to take part in the IPL this year because the foreign ministry advised the PCB against sending the players to India because of security concerns resulting from the tense relations between the two neighbouring countries after the Mumbai terror attacks.

The IPL was later shifted from India to South Africa due to the general elections in India.

Sources said other players including Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Saeed Ajmal, Danish Kaneria, Imran Farhat, Imran Nazir were also in line to play in the IPL.