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Afridi Sees IPL Conspiracy

KARACHI - The Pakistan Cricket Board chief and cricket legends have expressed deep anger and bitter disappointment over the Indian Premier League auction snub to Pakistani cricketers in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Eleven Pakistani players were up for sale in the auction, including dynamic all-rounder Shahid Afridi, rated as one of the top players in Twenty20s. Surprisingly, there were no takers for Pakistan players, with eight owners of the clubs remained unmoved during 
the auction.

“I feel gutted. We players only applied on the insistence of IPL management and not on our own,” Afridi told Khaleej Times from Australia. He recently joined the Pakistan squad for five ODIs and two Twenty20s against Australia.

Afridi also threatened not to play in future IPL competitions held under the present Indian government. “I believe the snub over Pakistani players was planned and done at the behest of the Indian government. I will not play in any future IPL event if held under the present Indian government,” the all-rounder said.

He also said IPL was not the end of the world and there were other places where Pakistani players could show their talents. “Rana Naveed and myself have appeared in the Australian domestic Twenty20 competition and done well,” he added.

PCB chief Ejaz Butt too was far from happy with what had happened in Mumbai. “The PCB is disappointed with what had happened in Mumbai as there were no offers for Pakistani players during auction,” the former Test cricketer told Khaleej Times.

A dismayed Ejaz said that IPL chief Lalit Modi had personally assured him that Pakistani cricketers would play in the event, but it came to nothing. “It is unfortunate that Modi has not even responded to my telephone calls,” complained the PCB chief.

The reaction from former Test greats — Zaheer Abbas, Moin Khan and Rameez Raja — was much more drastic and all of them urged the players to shun any future contact with IPL.

“It was a conspiracy against Pakistan cricketers and a deliberate attempt to humiliate our players. If PCB consider it was a deliberate act then it should consider total boycott of cricket activities with India,” demanded Zaheer Abbas.

Rameez even urged Wasim Akram, currently coaching Kolkata Knight Riders, to end his association as a protest and show solidarity with 
Pakistani players.

Moin, who was associated with the breakaway Indian Cricket League, accused the IPL management behind the snub to Pakistani players and also urged them never to offer themselves to be considered for IPL.