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Karachi: Pakistani cricketers feel “hurt” and insulted after none of their 11 players fielded for the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction were picked up.
Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi said India and IPL had “made fun” of his country. "The way I see it, the IPL and India have made fun of us and our country by treating us this way," said Afridi.
"We are the Twenty20 World Champions and for me the attitude of the franchises was disappointing. I feel bad for the Indian people who I am sure wanted to see us play in the IPL this year," Afridi told PTI from Brisbane.
Afridi was the first player to be put on auction in Mumbai and he had a base price of $250,000 but no franchise picked him up.
Franchises preferred West Indian, South African and Australian players while ignoring the 11 Pakistani players who were available in the auction for sale. Franchises say Pakistani players' availability was not certain and they couldn't risk their money on them.
Afridi was among the batch of Pakistani players who played in the first IPL season for Deccan Chargers.
All-rounder Abdul Razzaq, who was also among the players in the auction, said he saw the snub to Pakistani players as a conspiracy between the IPL and Indian government to insult Pakistan players.
"They have basically tried to hurt our cricket and image and this is most disappointing because I believe there should be no politics in sports," Razzaq said.
He also questioned the inclusion of Pakistani players in the auction list if the franchises were not interested. "In the end it is the IPL which has lost out because the fact is our players have star value and are the best in T20 cricket," he added.
All-rounder Sohail Tanvir, who was the best bowler of the inaugural IPL season and helped Rajasthan Royals win the title, said he felt humiliated and angry.
"They mean to say none of our players are good enough to be in the IPL. I am sorry to say the franchises have taken a decision not based on cricketing sense but on political grounds which is a shame and has hurt the image of the sport," Tanvir said.
He said that if the IPL and franchises had reservations over having Pakistani players they should have made it clear beforehand.
"Why create all this fuss about visa requirements and government clearances. If they don't want us they should be clear about it in the first place," Tanvir said.
IANS reports Pakistan’s Sports Minister Ejaz Jhakhrani has alleged that a "conspiracy" India kept out the Pakistanis from the cash-rich tournament.
Contending that Pakistani cricketers were the "best in the world", Jhakhrani said: "It looks like a conspiracy by India to give such treatment to our stars."
He said the failure to pick up any Pakistani player in the IPL auction, although Pakistan are the World Twenty20 champions, was "hugely disappointing".
(With inputs from PTI and IANS.)
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