 The Indian government has categorically denied having any role behind the IPL
auctions that were held in Mumbai saying that the IPL was a private event and
they had no say in its functioning. None of the 11 Pakistani cricketers in the
IPL auction were finally selected and that led to the voices of great disappointment
and frustration to be heard from Pakistan. India's sport minister MS Gill said:
"IPL is not only a cricket league but it is also a commercial enterprise
and the government of India and the sports ministry has nothing to do with them."
The same view was shared by M Krishna, India's foreign minister, who said, Government
has nothing to do with IPL, on selection of players and various exercises that
are connected with it." He also asked Pakistan to draw a line "between
where Government of India is connected and where Government of India is an actor" Earlier,
the Pakistani sports minister, Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani had said that he
had phoned up his sports minister counterpart in India and lodged a strong protest
with him. He said, "It is indeed a matter of disrespect of Pakistani heroes,
who are the champions of Twenty20 World Cup. Pakistani ministries of sports,
interior and foreign affairs had given political and security clearance to Pakistani
players in time to play." The PCB chairman Ejaz Butt, who had earlier
said that there was nothing wrong in their non-selection given that the Pakistani
cricketers had not played even last year, changed his stance and said, "We
are highly disappointed because we were hoping they (Pakistan's players) would
play" He also alleged that he had been trying to get in touch with
the IPL authorities but had been conveniently ignored by them. Another Pakistani,
Javed Miandad made his feelings very clear. He said that the T20 format
of the game is like a virus and needed to be weeded out. He also added that if
the ICC did not restrict the number of T20 games played, it could end up finishing
the Test match variety of the game. Continuing his tirade against India,
Miandad added that he feared that a day will come when the world of cricket will
be at the mercy of India. He added, "So I fear if Australia, England,
Sri Lanka and the West Indies don't realise this, world cricket will be
at the mercy of India." He also said that the Pakistani players should not
be bothered by the snub and that they must concentrate on their national duties.
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