Lalit Modi, the founder of the most popular T20 cricket league in the world, IPL, explained the reasons behind Pakistan players not being part of the cash-rich tournament any more. He said too much of political interference in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has led to this situation.
Pakistan players featured in the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008 and no longer participated after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The relationship between the two countries have deteriorated further over the years. Both teams no longer meet in bilateral series, except in tournaments conducted by ICC and ACC.
The former IPL chairman said that if the PCB had been working independently back then, he might have found a solution for Pakistan players. But constant interference from the government and political pressure within the board made things more complicated and harder to resolve.
“I was the one that brought Pakistani players into the IPL and then I had to move them after the 26/11 massacre in Bombay. The problem is if the Pakistan Cricket Board was independent and ran independently, if it wasn’t politically influenced, we would have some traction. But today the Pakistan Cricket Board is so politicised by the powers that be and they are pulling the levers and making it political. We have tension at that level, political level and that is not going away. It’s only going to get worse. So I fear for the players,” Lalit Modi said in a podcast with former England captain Michael Vaughan.
Lalit Modi said things are not likely to get better anytime soon. He pointed out that politics still plays a big role in how the PCB functions and that is making it difficult to improve relations between India and Pakistan.
“I fear that it may not be possible in the near future primarily because of the politicisation by the Pakistan Cricket Board in Pakistan and unfortunately that’s the way it is,” he added.
He also said that Bangladesh went through a similar situation, which even caused them to miss the 2026 T20 World Cup. He warned that they should learn from it and not make the same mistakes that, according to him, have affected the PCB.
“I don’t see an immediate solution right now and and you saw Bangladesh trying to get into it. They shouldn’t have,” he said.
