Staff ReportLAHORE: The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises on Thursday terminated the contracts of their six Pakistan cricketers – Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, Salman Butt and Mohammed Hafeez. While four other contracts – Umar Gul, (Kolkata Knightriders), Misbahul Haq (Bangalore Royal Challengers), Kamran Akmal and Sohail Tanvir (Rajasthan Royals) – have been ‘suspended’, with the affected teams allowed to sign replacements outside of the auction. The ten Pakistan players had been barred by their government from taking part in the second IPL season starting on April 10 following a deterioration in cross-border relations after the Mumbai terror strikes.According to media reports, Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, set the stage for the auction at the Fort Aguada resort, and also spoke of the possibility of games eventually being staged outside the franchise’s home city, in imitation of America’s National Football League and Major League Baseball. There were 43 names on the list, but with the Pakistan players unavailable, the franchisees got together and extended the wish-list to 51. With Michael Clarke pulling out, the number is now an even 50. Australia has the greatest representation, with 18 players, though no dates are yet available for how long the national team members – with games against South Africa and Pakistan pencilled in – will be able to play the second season. “A player can pull out only if he is injured or has an FTP, Future Tours Programme, commitment,” Modi said. “Regarding the Pakistan players, franchisees have the option of either terminating their contract or suspending it. If they terminate the contract, the player becomes a free agent and the team gets a slot in the auction,” he said. source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/
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