Did not discuss Pakistan players’ participation in IPL with Srinivasan, says Zaka Ashraf - Cricket News Update
The chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Zaka Ashraf, has said that his latest discussion with the BCCI counterpart N http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Srinivasan-c90829 did not encompass Pakistan players' participation in the lucrative Indian Premier League, maintaining that his top most
priority for the time being is resumption of bilateral cricketing ties with India.
The PCB chief, who is in Delhi these days after attending the IPL final on Sunday, said that the IPL is more of a commercial thing, he however did opine that any such move from the Board of Control for Cricket in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 (BCCI) will be welcomed wholeheartedly
by him and his board.
"I didn't discuss the IPL, because it was more of a commercial thing. I was talking to the BCCI more on the revival of cricketing relations - on bilateral ties, because that is more important,” said Zaka http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Delhi-c780 on Wednesday.
“If they feel like inviting Pakistani players [to the IPL], it is up to them. If they want to, I think that will be a good move also," he added further.
Pakistan has not played a bilateral series with the South Asian neighbours since 2007. Indian cricket team was scheduled to tour Pakistan in January 2009, but BCCI cancelled the itinerary following the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mumbai-c820 attacks in November 2008, after the Indian government
suspected Pakistan’s hand in the deadly incident.
Also, Pakistani players have not been picked to play in the Indian Premier League since the 26/11 attacks. Besides being overlooked for the IPL, Pakistan players were also snubbed for the Champions League T20 tournament, a joint venture of BCCI, Cricket
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746.
But the BCCI president, N Srinivasan, earlier this month announced that Pakistan’s domestic T20 champions, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sialkot-c842 Stallions will also participate in this year’s Champions League, a move which handed Pakistan players hopes of IPL call-ups as well.
However, the IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla had last month made it clear that the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 players will be cleared for selection in IPL only after resumption of bilateral cricket ties between the nations.
"The IPL functions under the BCCI and when bilateral relations resume between the two boards the IPL will also not be a problem for Pakistani players," Shukla had said last month.
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