Karachi: Pakistani cricketers, who were ignored by the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises in Tuesday’s auction, have reacted angrily to the snub, with Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi saying the IPL’s attitude was disappointing.
Ijaz Butt, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, however, said he was not bothered.
“It really does not bother us. What difference does it make to us if our players don’t play in the IPL this season. They didn’t play in the last season as well,” Butt said.
He said the responsibility of the Board was to clear the road for Pakistani players for the IPL, and it had done that. “We got the required clearances from our government. But after that, we can’t interfere in anybody’s work,” Butt remarked.
The following are excerpts from what the snubbed cricketers said:
SHAHID AFRIDI: The way I see it, the IPL and India have made fun of us and our country by treating us this way. We are the Twenty20 world champions, and for me, the attitude of the franchises was disappointing. I feel bad for the Indian people who I am sure wanted to see us play in the IPL this year. As a world champion team, we expected to be a part of the IPL. Most of the franchises wanted to take us, but may be because of the pressure on them by the government, they overlooked us. It is a very negative signal and should not have happened.
ABDUL RAZZAQ: They (the franchises) have basically tried to hurt our cricket and our image, and this is most disappointing because I believe there should be no politics in sports. In the end, it is the IPL which has suffered, because the fact is, our players have star value and are the best in T20 cricket.
SOHAIL TANVIR: They mean to say none of our players are good enough to be in the IPL. I am sorry to say the franchises have taken a decision not based on cricketing sense but on political grounds, which is a shame and has hurt the image of the sport. Why create all this fuss about visa requirements and government clearances? If they don’t want us, they should be clear about it. It would have been so much better if we were not a part of the auction. Being a part of the auction and not being sold at all is an insult to the whole nation, our fans and our cricket.
