News: IPL 3 might act ice-breaker between India and Pak

Taking a step forward to renew the estranged ties between India and Pakistan, PCB has given a go ahead to its cricketers to participate in the third edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League. After last week’s meeting between Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt and BCCI officials, it was concluded that in the absence of a bilateral series IPL will prove to be a healthy platform to normalise the cricketing relations between both the nations.

Thus Butt affirmed that Pakistan board will not pose hindrance in their players’ association with the league and the same was duly conveyed to IPL commissioner Lalit Modi during their meet. "I spoke to him about our players taking part in the next IPL season and have requested him to ensure that Pakistani players are allowed to play in the league next year," he said.

Modi has given consent for the same but has also said that the final decision will be taken by the Governments of both nations. He said that even though Pakistan might have permitted the players to go ahead with their respective contracts, it is the Indian Government who has to take the final call on the issue.

PCB chairman Butt also urged the IPL organizing committee to include the names of the Pakistani cricketers in the list of players who will be auctioned early next year, so that the players do not lose another chance to rake in some moolah from this lucrative league.

"Our players are keen to take part in the IPL next year as they would be free during the period the league is planned," he added.

Pakistani players were forced to sit out of last year’s IPL on the advice of the country’s foreign ministry in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks. However, the venue of the event was later shifted to South Africa but by then the contracts of Pakistan’s players were suspended.

Meanwhile, Butt refused to say anything about the possibility of bilateral series between the two countries.