Karachi: Pakistani players would only be able to play in the Indian Premier League once bilateral cricket ties with India were restored on a permanent basis, according to a Pakistan Cricket Board official.
The former chairman of the PCB Najam Sethi, who now heads the powerful executive committee, told reporters here that the possibility of Pakistani cricketers participation in the IPL would only arise once bilateral ties resumed this year in December.
"I don't know why it is like this but the fact is Indo-Pak cricket ties are always dictated by the existing government to government level ties between the two countries," Sethi said.
"And every time we have a bilateral series planned it is normal for both boards to first get clearance from the government at the last moment," he added.
Sethi, a well-known journalist and political analyst, noted that political and diplomatic dictates cricket relations between the two countries.
"India for its part has signed a MoU with us to play six series over the next seven years and the first series of this agreement is scheduled in December. But the fate of that series will only be known when the time comes," he said.
"It is unfortunate but this is the way it is. We have spoken to the Indian board about our players not being allowed into the IPL but we get the same answer all the time from them."
Sethi said if the series happens in December than he was sure that Pakistani players would make an appearance in the IPL in 2016.
Pakistani players took part in the first edition of the IPL in 2008 but following the terror attacks in Mumbai the Indian government suspended all sporting ties with Pakistan.
Asked about Pakistan's planned Super League T20 event which has been postponed twice, Sethi said: "We want to hold it in Pakistan but problem is foreign players are demanding too much money for coming here and we will have to host it in Dubai.
