No final decision yet on Pak players' participation in IPL: Pak Sports minister

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Islamabad, Mar.26 (ANI): It is still not clear whether Pakistani players will be playing in the second season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) or not, as Pak Federal Minister for Sports, Pir Aftab Hussain Shah Jilani has said that a final decision in this regard would be taken in the coming two to three days.

Jilani said that following the IPL's shift to South Africa, the government may rethink its stand on over the issue.

"Now, the organisers have shifted the Twenty 20 cricket event in South Africa, the situation is different now. There will be no security threat to Pakistani cricketers there and they may be officially recognized to play lucrative IPL cricket. The decision will be made in next two days," The Nation qouted Jilani, as saying.

He said that the final decision would be taken by President Asif Ali Zardari, as he is the Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

On Wednesday, however, PCB's Chief Operating Officer, Saleem Altaf had said that that no Pakistani player would take part in second edition of the IPL even though it was being shifted out from India to South Africa.

"We know that some players really want to play in the IPL but I don't think that they would be a part of it this year. They may be included in the league next year but not now. These are the harsh realities of life," Altaf had said. (ANI)