Non-inclusion of Pak cricketers in IPL "disservice" to cricket:PC

New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) Terming non-inclusion of
Pakistani players in Indian Premier League as "disservice to
cricket", Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram Monday said there
was no "hint or nudge" from the government to do so.
Describing some of them as "among the best Twenty20"
cricket players, he said "these players were coming as
individuals, it was not a Pakistan team."
"...I think it is disservice to cricket that some of
these players were not picked. I don't know why the IPL teams
acted in the manner they acted. But certainly to suggest that
there was a hint or nudge from the government is completely
untrue," the minister told Times Now.
No Pakistani player was bought by the eight IPL teams
during an auction last week for the third edition of the
competition despite Pakistan being the reigning world
champions in the Twenty20 format of cricket, triggering a
strong reaction from Pakistan government which saw it as snub
and called-off official visits to India.
Asked whether he thought that Pakistan was over-reacting
on the issue, Chidambaram said "well, you see, if no player
from a country is picked, obviously the country does feel
insulted. But whether the reaction is proportionate or not it
is not for me to comment.
"But as I said, cricket lovers are disappointed that no
player from Pakistan was picked. I think that could have been
avoided." MORE PTI