ISLAMABAD: Under immense pressure from the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has refused to allow four English cricketers to play in the first edition of Kashmir Premier League (KPL).
The KPL tournament is set to run in Muzaffarabad between 6th to 17th August.
Well-placed sources have informed Pakistan Today that under pressure from the BCCI, India, four English players – Monty Panesar, Owais Shah, Matt Prior, and Phil Mustard – who had signed for the KPL have now withdrawn themselves.
According to the sources, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has conveyed the KPL management that a senior ECB official has rung the ECB, asking it to convey to the four English cricketers that if they played in the KPL, “they would not be allowed to travel into India, again”.
The message further added that the four players were also threatened about their security if they played the KPL.
“They should also be conveyed that If they go to Kashmir, it’s not safe”, an official told who saw the related documents of communication between the ECB and the KPL.
It may be mentioned that India was also blamed for funding terrorist attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore, Pakistan, back in March 2008. Interestingly, prior to the terrorist attack, Sri Lankan cricketers were also threatened for their security if they decided to play in Pakistan.
“Also, they won’t be allowed to work in anything Indian cricket related,” the official added.
The source said that following the ECB threat, the ECB decided to suspend its players from playing the KPL.
KPL, taking notice of threats hurled to the English cricketers, is now mulling not to include any foreign player in the contest and commence with only the Pakistani and Kashmiri talent.
As a consequence, Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan and South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs were informed not to voyage the cricket-loving nation. Dilshan, however, has promised to play during whatever the circumstances are.
Arshad Khan Tanoli, the owner of the Muzaffarabad Tigers informed Dilshan’s presence amidst all the odds.
It is pertinent to mention that the KPL has once again opened up a list of local players to choose from for KPL 2021 to replace the foreigners.
