The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : ‘Pakistan players got a raw deal’

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‘Pakistan players got a raw deal’

Karachi: Pakistan’s cricketers got a raw deal from the Indian Premier League and were paid less than what they deserved, complained Younis Khan after watching English players attract record bids in the IPL second season auction despite their limited availability.

Pakistan players will not be a part of IPL season II after the government barred them from travelling to India on ‘security grounds’.

The Pakistan skipper said after watching Englishmen Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff fetch a record-breaking $1.55 million each in Friday’s auction, he wondered whether his country’s cricketers were paid less last season.

Only three weeks

Flintoff and Pietersen would be able to play just three weeks of the six-week tournament that is scheduled in April.

“Unlike other countries, particularly Pakistan where players rushed to get into the IPL, the English cricket board and their players avoided the first season. As a result, their demand has increased for the second season,” he said.

“In contrast Pakistani players have got themselves a raw deal from the IPL. Look at Sohail Tanvir he was bought for just around $100,000 and he was the best bowler in the first season. Yet he has to manage with the same amount for the rest of his contract with Rajasthan Royals.

“In comparison to Pakistani players even local Indians fetched bigger prices, which was surprising. Someone like Misbah-ul-Haq, who was the best Twenty20 batsman last season, hardly got a reasonable price,” Younis pointed out.

Younis said another reason why the English players attracted such interest from the franchisees was the highly competitive Twenty20 domestic structure in England, which makes them specialists of the shortest format of the game. — PTI

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