With the Indian government clearing visa applications of the Pakistani cricketers, PCB chairman Ejaz Butt on Thursday said he would request Indian Premier League authorities to do away with the deadline conditions set for the players' participation in the cash-rich Twenty20 event.
The Indian government today said visas would be issued to the Pakistani players, who had submitted applications with the Indian High Commission in Islamabad and Wellington.
The four players who have been cleared for visa are Sohail Tanvir, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Gul and Kamran Akmal.
Butt said that he was in constant touch with IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi over the issue.
"I will be pushing for the IPL to do away with the deadline condition and allow our players to take part in the IPL," Butt said.
"I will be talking again to Modi on the deadline issue because now the Indian government has also given clearance for visas to be issued," he added.
Butt described the Indian government's clearance as a step in the right direction and hoped it would pave the way for both countries to resume bilateral cricket ties.
The PCB Chief Operating Officer Wasim Bari said the Board had been in constant touch with the IPL over the issue.
Modi had earlier stated that since the deadline for the Pakistani players to submit all their required documents had passed, they would not be able to take part in the next IPL season.
When contacted Modi said he was not in a hurry to give any statement on the issue. "I will make the announcement in due course of time," he said.
Pakistani players didn't take part in the second season of the IPL this year after the government advised them against traveling to India because of security concerns in the wake of the terror attacks in Mumbai.
But this time the Pakistan government and its concerned ministries have given clearance for the players to take part in the IPL.
Bari confirmed that initially the IPL had sent invitations for just four players and asked the board to provide clearance for them.
"But if the rest of the players are negotiating directly with the IPL franchises we don't know about that. But we have invitations for only four players," he stated. PTI
