President Kashmir Premier League (KPL) Arif Malik has vowed that the tournament will go ahead as per plan despite the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) threats to foreign players.
It was first reported on Friday that the BCCI has contacted other cricket boards and warned them against giving their players permission to participate in the league.
As per media reports, the BCCI threatened that players who will take part in the league will not be allowed to enter the country or work in Indian cricket at any level or in any capacity.
However, in a video message posted on KPL’s Twitter page in the early hours of Saturday morning, Malik confirmed the development but reiterated that the tournament will go ahead as per plan.
“We have received the news from different sources and verified it as well that there are some issues regarding the participation of foreign players in the inaugural KPL edition,” he said. “The agents of the players have also confirmed the news. We are looking for options on how we can counter BCCI’s influence and bring the foreign players to Pakistan.
“We have also taken the Foreign Office on boards on the issue. I think the only problem is that they don’t want Kashmir cricketers – five of them – to share the dressing room with the foreign players.”
Moreover, he asked other players to follow Sri Lanka legend Tillakaratne Dilshan, who is playing for the Muzaffarabad Tigers, despite the pressure. “Dilshan has announced that he is still willing to come to Pakistan which is a great sign,” he said.
Former Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, ex-South African cricketer Herschelle Gibbs and four former England cricketers – Matt Prior, Monty Panesar, Phil Mustard and Owais Shah – were drafted for the league.
The KPL event will continue for 10 days with six teams vying for the prestigious trophy in a 18-match competition from August 6 to August 17.
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