IPL: PCB did not send approved list

PCB's decision of not sending list of players for IPL was the reason behind the auction being devoid of Pakistanis.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision of not sending its approved list of players for the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to avoid ‘further humiliation’ was the reason behind the auction pool being devoid of any Pakistani names.

The total of 416 players were put up for auction – to take place in Bangalore on January 8 and 9 – for the next edition of the Twenty20 tournament. But the list does not feature even a single Pakistani cricketer. “A Pakistani player is a special case and has a separate procedure to follow in order to play in the IPL,” a player told The Express Tribune. “We sought the IPL Governing Council to take a decision on our inclusion in the auction but things were unclear. The PCB has not contacted us nor are they willing to take another risk especially because they’re in the middle of the fixing crisis.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2010.