Our players taking part in IPL depends on Indian govt: Sethi

Karachi: Pakistan Cricket Board has been told in clear terms by the BCCI that participation of Pakistani players in the IPL next year will be possible only after clearance from the Indian government, according to acting PCB chief Najam Sethi.

Sethi said at a press conference here today that he had started making efforts to convince the BCCI to allow Pakistani players in the next IPL. "A senior official of the IPL and BCCI, Rajeev Shukla was in Lahore recently. When I met him I told him to do something to enable the participation of Pakistani players in the IPL. He advised me to speak to BCCI chief N Srinivasan. When I spoke to him he advised me that this was a matter that could only be resolved at government level and I should speak at the top level," Sethi said. Pakistani players have not been able to take part in the lucrative IPL since 2008 after the Mumbai terror attacks. They took part in the first edition but thereafter have been kept out. Even in the Champions League Twenty20, only in the past two editions has the BCCI invited Pakistan to send its national T20 champions to the tournament. Sethi said he was hopeful about Pakistani cricketers playing in the IPL. He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had asked him to give a detailed briefing on cricket and how to bring back international cricket to Pakistan. "I was to brief him last week but due to other activities he was very busy and it did not happen. But obviously we also need the help of the government in bringing back international cricket to Pakistan," Sethi said. Asked about the possibility of the Board launching its own Super League T20 competition, Sethi said no player was willing to play in Pakistan. "The truth is right now even a third level player is demanding around USD 100,000 to come to Pakistan. We can`t afford to waste money in our present condition. It is useless holding the league anywhere else. So we are waiting patiently for things to improve," he said.