Afridi Takes U-Turn, Says, Not Interested In IPL

In a virtual u-turn, flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi on Wednesday made it clear that he was "not interested" in taking part in the Indian Premier League and said mere apologies could not compensate the humiliation the Pakistani cricketers faced in the auction.

A day after a website had quoted Afridi as saying he has gotten over the anger at being "snubbed" in the IPL auction and was open to play in the Twenty20 event in future, the star cricketer took a different and more strident stand on his availability.

"I am not at all interested in taking part in the IPL. These issues of Pakistani cricketers should have been sorted out before the auction," Afridi told PTI-Bhasha over phone from Adelaide.

"I have forgotten what happened in the IPL auction in Mumbai. But everybody in Pakistan is very disappointed and angry with the insult. So good luck to Modi and his IPL," Afridi said.

All the 11 Pakistani players in the 67-strong pool went unsold in the glitzy auction in Mumbai on January 19, prompting angry reactions from Pakistan.

"Mere apology can't compensate the humiliation Pakistan cricketers faced in the auction, where the cricketers were called," Afridi said.

Afridi was also of the view that Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram's statements have only vindicated Pakistan's claim that their players were insulted.

"The statements of Shah Rukh Khan and Chidambaram have confirmed that the Pakistani cricketers were not treated properly in the auction," he said.

"I am not talking about myself only, but I think, all were left insulted after the incident. The IPL franchises must have had something in their minds," he added.

Asked whether politics had played any role in the non-selection of the Pakistani cricketers, Afridi said, "There is lot of politics in sports in both the countries."

"When the bilateral relation between the two countries are not good, how do you expect sports to flourish?" he asked.

Afridi had only yesterday told a website that if an opportunity came his way, he would like to play in India in the Champions League or IPL in future provided he gets the government's go ahead.

The all-rounder had said he was guided by the teachings of Holy Prophet and willing to forget and forgive what happened in the IPL.

"After the IPL auction I was deeply hurt and angry, the way Pakistani players were treated was disrespectful and in my view wrong. Whose fault it was..I don't know," he had said. PTI