'Withdraw hockey team from WC to protest IPL insult'

Karachi :

Former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas has suggested that the national hockey team should be withdrawn from the World Cup in India to protest the "humiliating" treatment meted out to the country's cricketers at the Indian Premier League auction.

Abbas said he would talk to sports minister Ejaz Jakhrani on the matter. The World Cup is due to held from last week of February in Delhi with Pakistan facing India in their opening match of a tournament they have not won since 1994.

"We need to make some sort of strong statement conveying our feelings over the way the IPL organisers and franchises deliberately insulted our cricketers at the auction," Abbas said.

Not a single Pakistani cricketer found a buyer at the glitzy auction held in Mumbai on Tuesday.

The former Test batsman said Pakistan must be clear about its sports policy with India and act accordingly.