Pakistan’s eight Indian Premier League (IPL) contracted cricketers are optimistic of receiving their dues from the cash-rich Twenty20 league after an assurance from the League’s boss Lalit Modi.
Several star Pakistani players including former captain Shoaib Malik and fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar were considering to sue the IPL over the payment row but have now received an assurance from Modi that the issue will be resolved soon.
Quoting sources, ‘The News’ has reported that Modi has sent an e-mail to the management company representing the Pakistani cricketers in which he wrote that the IPL franchises will be approached by the management of the Twenty20 league in a bid to amicably settle the problem.
The report said that previously the IPL top bosses had decided against even replying to the e-mails and queries sent by the cricketers and their management firm.
“This is certainly a positive development,” said a source close to some of the cricketers, who are still awaiting their payments from various IPL franchises. “After completely ignoring us for so many days, Lalit Modi has finally acknowledged that there is an issue that needs to be settled,” he added.
As per a rough estimate, eight of the Pakistani cricketers who featured in the inaugural IPL season in India last year, are awaiting payments of around $3.5-4 million.
The cricketers from Pakistan were unable to confirm their participation in the second season of the IPL because of strained India-Pakistan relations in the wake of last year’s Mumbai terrorist attacks.
The IPL management decided to release the players without settling their dues saying it only required to pay non-participating players in case they are injured.
Pakistani player believe that they should be paid because it was on the advice of the government that they pulled out of the event. The players are also demanding that the IPL should take them back as the league has now been shifted to South Africa.
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