IPL shuns Pak players

Pakistani cricketers who were anxious to play in the Indian Premier League’s season-3 found no takers among the eight franchises at the auction in Mumbai on Tuesday in which Trinidadian Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians) and New Zealander Shane Bond (Kolkata Knight Riders) were the top picks.

Across the border, a political twist is being given to this IPL snub with Shahid Afridi, a leading T-20 exponent, complaining bitterly, “The way I see it, the IPL and India have made fun of us and our country.”

The IPL commissioner, Mr Lalit Modi, said on record that it was apprehension over the actual availability of Pakistan players that was the real reason for the franchises not considering the Pakistan option.

While there is far more to it than meets the eye in the obvious snub to Pakistan cricket, it is clear that the BCCI may be acting to save itself from any potential embarrassment a year before the 2011 World Cup (50 overs) in which Pakistan, originally one of four joint Asian hosts, has not been allotted any matches.

The BCCI fear is that not only will Pakistani players’ participation in IPL lead to pressure to renew cricket relations in the form of bilateral series of matches but could also trigger talk of that country being given back World Cup matches to host.

The truth of the matter is no country’s team or individual cricketers are willing to tour Pakistan in the aftermath of a terror attack aimed specifically at a cricket team in March 2009 in Lahore when the touring Sri Lankan team bus was ambushed at Liberty Circle.

The season’s picks are short not only on Pakistanis but also Australians, of whom only two were signed on, that too at the rock bottom $100,000 (Damien Martyn) and $50,000 (Adam Voges), obviously under instructions from Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne. Given the tensions over the attacks on Indians Down Under, it is possible to interpret that souring relations may have had something to do with the auction being light on Aussie picks.

But, again, Mr Modi stressed that player availability rather than international relations was the reason for IPL teams not viewing Australians seriously this time. Cricket Australia has also made it tough for its players to seek IPL contracts as No Objection Certificates are given only sparingly.

Besides Pollard and Bond, those who profited most from Pakistanis and Australians not being the flavour of the season are the Deccan Chargers acquisition in the emerging West Indian fast bowler Kemar Roach ($720,000) and Delhi Daredevils pick in the South African left arm quick Wayne Parnell ($610,000).