By IANS
New Delhi : All Pakistani and Sri Lankan cricketers who have signed up for next month’s Indian Premier League (IPL) will turn up for their teams competing in the lucrative Twenty20 tournament, it has been confirmed.
The Pakistani and Sri Lankan boards have assured the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the owner of the IPL, that all players would live up to their commitments, a top source BCCI disclosed.
“IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi had a chat with the top officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) a few days ago and both countries have assured their fullest support and cooperation to the IPL,” the source told IANS.
“Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka have told the BCCI that all players who have signed for IPL would indeed play in the league beginning April 18,” he said.
Many top-notch Pakistani and Sri Lankan players like Shoaib Akhtar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi have signed for the eight-team tournament.
Doubts about their participation in the IPL arose after Australia pulled out of their tour to Pakistan in March-April owing to security reasons.
After Australia declined to tour Pakistan in March-April and with the lucrative IPL starting April 18, officials from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, who are to host a tri-series in June, were reportedly trying to accommodate their playing requirements.