IPL may lead to change in dates of Pak-SL series

Sources close to top PCB officials said that the two boards had come under pressure soon after PCB Chairman Nasim Ashraf announced that Sri Lanka had confirmed touring Pakistan for the series.

It was learnt that the tentative dates were set for April 23 to May 5 after Sri Lanka end their tour of the West Indies on April 15.

The sources disclosed that IPL officials have conveyed to PCB that as their league is due to start on April 18 and several Pakistani and Sri Lankan players were signed on to play for franchised teams, their non-availability would affect the multi-billion dollar event.

"The message from the IPL was loud and clear that they would not like to see the top Pakistani and Sri Lankan players absent from the first part of the IPL tournament," the source said.

PCB's Chief Operating Officer Shafqat Naghmi, without mentioning IPL, said the series dates were not final as some details and issues had to be worked out.

Top players like Shoaib Akhtar, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Asif, Shoaib Malik, Salman Butt, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Kamran Akmal, Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardena, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chaminda Vaas, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dilhara

Fernando have signed on to play for the IPL. To make matters more complicated, since the planned series is not part of the ICC Future Tours Programme and is being arranged after Australia refused to tour Pakistan, it puts the IPL in a stronger position to press for the inclusion of top players from both countries.

SLC president Arjuna Ranatunga, when asked about the proposed series, diplomatically responded: "India and Pakistan have always supported us in our needs like big brothers so I am ready to send my team whenever Pakistan want."

Sources say PCB and SLC are already fearing problems with their main players over the IPL issue as the proposed series is not part of the FTP.

"We could have a situation where second string sides from both countries play the series while top players go and play in the IPL," a source said.

The PCBs governing body is due to meet tomorrow an decide on a policy on IPL when the "league clashes with national commitments. The PCB will probably on Sunday decide how to go about Sri Lanka's acceptance to play a one-day series," the source said.

The irony is that when BCCI and other national boards, including Pakistan, took a strong stand against the Indian Cricket League, they claimed it would affect the availability of players for their country.