Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ejaz Butt still hopeful for Pakistani players participating in the 2010 Indian Premier League (IPL). Earlier this week despite the Pakistan Federal Interior Ministry giving clearance to their national cricketers, IPL commissioner Lalit Modi announced that Pakistan's cricketers will miss the third edition of the lucrative Twenty20 event in India due to a delay in securing visas.
But the Indian High Commission in Islamabad said the visa applications of four Pakistan cricketers were being processed. Three of them were being processed in Wellington, New Zealand, where the Pakistan team is currently on tour. Those were thought to be Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Gul and Kamran Akmal. The other being processed in Pakistan is Sohail Tanvir.
The High Commission said in a media release it was never advised about any deadlines for issuing visas to Pakistan players, either by the IPL organizing committee or the PCB.
Interestingly Modi said that the deadline for completing all formalities, including obtaining visas for the March 12-April 25 event, was Monday since the transfer window opens on Wednesday and players looked to have missed out on the upcoming edition because a visa deadline had passed while their applications were still being processed.
However Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt said that deadline may be put back yet again, after two previous extensions. “Give us a day or two and everything will be settled down,” Butt told AP. “I can only say this much at the moment, that we are hopeful of Pakistan players’ participation in next year’s IPL.”
Five Pakistan players - Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Abdul Razzaq, Misbah-ul Haq and Kamran Akmal - have contracts in place with IPL teams, whereas contracts for seven others - including Younis Khan and Shoaib Akhtar, were terminated prior to the second edition of the league this year after the Pakistan government refused to sanction permission for players to participate due to security concerns arising from the terrorist attack in Mumbai.
The second edition of the IPL was shifted to South Africa when the Indian government failed to guarantee adequate security because the event was clashing with country's general elections but again Pakistani cricketers stayed out of the sensational tournament.
However it returns back to India and players from all countries were required to submit their No Objection Certificate (NOC) from respective boards and government by November 20, but the organisers had extended the deadline for the submission of NOC's by 10 days for the Pakistani players to participate in the third edition of the IPL. And the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan has given the NOC to the PCB whereas the Interior Ministry also granted the permission.
But the Indian High Commission in Islamabad said the visa applications of four Pakistan cricketers were being processed. Three of them were being processed in Wellington, New Zealand, where the Pakistan team is currently on tour. Those were thought to be Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Gul and Kamran Akmal. The other being processed in Pakistan is Sohail Tanvir.
The High Commission said in a media release it was never advised about any deadlines for issuing visas to Pakistan players, either by the IPL organizing committee or the PCB.
Interestingly Modi said that the deadline for completing all formalities, including obtaining visas for the March 12-April 25 event, was Monday since the transfer window opens on Wednesday and players looked to have missed out on the upcoming edition because a visa deadline had passed while their applications were still being processed.
However Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt said that deadline may be put back yet again, after two previous extensions. “Give us a day or two and everything will be settled down,” Butt told AP. “I can only say this much at the moment, that we are hopeful of Pakistan players’ participation in next year’s IPL.”
Five Pakistan players - Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Abdul Razzaq, Misbah-ul Haq and Kamran Akmal - have contracts in place with IPL teams, whereas contracts for seven others - including Younis Khan and Shoaib Akhtar, were terminated prior to the second edition of the league this year after the Pakistan government refused to sanction permission for players to participate due to security concerns arising from the terrorist attack in Mumbai.
The second edition of the IPL was shifted to South Africa when the Indian government failed to guarantee adequate security because the event was clashing with country's general elections but again Pakistani cricketers stayed out of the sensational tournament.
However it returns back to India and players from all countries were required to submit their No Objection Certificate (NOC) from respective boards and government by November 20, but the organisers had extended the deadline for the submission of NOC's by 10 days for the Pakistani players to participate in the third edition of the IPL. And the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan has given the NOC to the PCB whereas the Interior Ministry also granted the permission.
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