Lahore, Apr 18: Supporting Wasim Akram's views that the Indian Premier League (IPL) could prove to be a negative distraction for players, former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad today said it has started ''hurting'' the international calender.

''The IPL has already started hurting the international calendar and in the long run it will encourage more private parties and organisations to come in and start their own leagues if they have big money to roll,'' Miandad said. ''People are comparing the IPL with the Kerry Packer series in the late '70s. But these are two totally different things. The Packer series was held when players were paid ridiculously low wages,'' he said. ''When the International Cricket Council had decided to host the Twenty20 World Championship every alternate year, there was no room for a private league,'' former captain added.

Akram raised an alarm in a television interview, saying the international players could end up their career preferring to play in private leagues than for their national teams.

UNI