Butt sees 'no exposure' plot in IPL auction blank

Butt held IPL commissioner Lalit Modi responsible for the embarrassment and humiliation caused to the Pakistani players. “The fact is these people didn’t want our players to get practice and exposure before the World Cup which is being held after the IPL in India,” Butt told a television channel.

Asked if he was directly blaming the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Butt questioned: “Tell me who is Lalit Modi? He is the vice-president of the Indian Board and the IPL is part and parcel of the Indian Board.

“I blame Lalit Modi because he gave me promises and assurances and then ditched us. He didn’t even properly inform the franchises that we have assurances from our government that this time our players would not be stopped from going to India for the IPL third season,” Butt said.

Pakistan are the defending champions of the T20 World Cup. Butt said he definitely smelt a conspiracy given the way the Pakistani players were first included in the auction and then snubbed by the franchises.

Asked if he felt the Indians had given a tit for tat response to Pakistan’s decision to not allow its cricketers to travel to India for IPL II, Butt said the proper thing should have been to make it clear that Pakistani players were not allowed in the tournament this year as well.

Asked if the PCB would allow or advise its players to play in the IPL fourth season, Butt said this decision would be taken at the right time.

He said the PCB was doing everything to bring to the notice of the cricket world the injustice done to Pakistani players at the IPL and this included taking up the matter strongly with the ICC.