IPL fiasco: Pakistani parliamentary delegation cancels India visit

Islamabad, Jan 20 (IANS) A Pakistani parliamentary delegation has cancelled its visit to India after none of the country’s cricketers found any takers at an auction for the third edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza made the announcement in the house Wednesday after opposition members raised the issue, terming it a “planned conspiracy” to prevent Pakistani players from featuring in the cash-rich series.

Leader of Opposition Nisar Ali Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) also demanded an immediate ban on the screening of Indian movies in Pakistan.

He declared that the PML-N would not be part of the delegation, following which Mirza announced that the visit had already been called off.

Pakistanis reacted with anger after all the 11 players were ignored by the IPL bidders, with Sports Minister Ejaz Jhakhrani speaking to his Indian counterpart but being told there was noting the government could do.

Disappointed Pakistani players and a section of the country’s political establishment called it a “conspiracy” by India to keep out the Pakistanis from the tournament.

Quoting sources, Online news agency said that Jhakhrani told Indian Sports Minister M.S. Gill that it was “utterly disappointing that not a single Pakistani was auctioned for the cash lucrative IPL”, adding that “such decisions in the field of sports are contradictory and hard to understand”.

On his part, Gill made it clear to Jhakhrani that the Indian sports ministry had nothing to do with the IPL and that since it was a commercial venture, the government could not interfere in the matter.