PCB clear players to participate in IPL auction

Karachi:

The Pakistan Cricket Board has cleared its players to take part in the January auction for the third Indian Premier League scheduled to be held in March-April next year.

PCB has also directed all its players who are keen to take part in the twenty20 tournament to complete their documents and NOCs by December 31st to be forwarded to the IPL commissioner Lalit Modi.

The PCB said in a statement that all players including those who have never played before in the league should either contact Modi directly or the PCB for completion of documents so that their names could be included in the players auction due to take place in January.

"We have issued this directive because this time we don't want the players to miss any deadlines and so that they have ample time to apply for visas and complete their documentation for the players auction," one board official stated.

Modi ruled out the direct participation of Pakistani players in the league's next season insisting they had failed to submit their documents and obtain Indian visas by the given deadline of December 7.

But after the Indian government gave cleared visas for the Pakistani players, Modi said that Pakistani players could make themselves eligible for the players auction and if any franchise was interested in securing their services it would be done through the bidding process.

But some confusion remains about the participation of those players in the auction who played in the IPL first season and had their contracts suspended by their franchises or were replaced by other players after the deadline.

An agent who represents number of Pakistan's leading players said that some franchises had already conveyed their interest in some players and wanted them to take part in the players auction.

"The IPL might not directly allow our players to play in the league but the good thing is that many franchises are interested in signing some of our players," the agent said.

Sources said that Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Sohail Tanvir, Danish Kaneria, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal were some of the players on whom the franchises have expressed interest.

A dozen Pakistani players took part in IPL I in 2008 but were not given clearance by their government to play in the second edition this year which led to many franchises either canceling or suspending their contracts.

The source said that Shoaib Malik and Muhammad Asif had some contractual issues with their franchise Delhi Daredevils, while Shoaib Akhtar was also trying to renew his ties with the Shahrukh Khan-owned, Kolkatta Knight Riders.

Sources said many of the players were also keen to play in the IPL as the Pakistan team do not have any international commitments in March-April next year and the T20 World Cup would be held immediately after the IPL.