Modi and the messy Pakistan affair
The outrage in Pakistan over the exclusion of their players in the IPL auctions is understandable, because of the manner in which the delicate situation was handled by the franchises and Lalit Modi, who didn't drop any hints as to what could happen
Kanishkaa Balachandran
25-Feb-2013
The outrage in Pakistan over the exclusion of their players in the IPL auctions is understandable, because of the manner in which the delicate situation was handled by the franchises and Lalit Modi, who didn't drop any hints as to what could happen at the auction, writes Rohit Mahajan in Outlook. Salman Ahmed of Portfolio World Sports Management, who manages several Pakistani players, says the sponsors had a right to be wary after the Mumbai attacks, but could have used a bit of tact and honesty in dealing with the Pakistan players.
Tanvir, who played a key role in the Rajasthan Royals win in 2008, says it was a bolt from the blue when their names were added to the auction list. “I was certain I was going to play for my team!” he told Outlook. “I’d got a letter from Rajasthan Royals saying I’d be playing this season for them, to help me get the visa. Then, three days before the auction, I was told I was going to be put on auction. And then came the humiliation at the auction—there was no need to do this!”
Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo