IPL used to enhance India-Pakistan relationship

A former Sharjah Club opening batsman has called for the Indian Premier League to be used to revive the cricketing relationship between India and Pakistan. Mohammad Nawaz is now an Asian Cricket Council (ACC) level two coach and was a prolific scorer for Sharjah during his heyday in the 1980s. "Pakistan players should be included in the IPL as prelude to the revival of India-Pakistan cricket series," said Nawaz, who hails from Karachi and once averaged 112 in domestic cricket, his top score an unbeaten 178 against India Sports Club.

Abundance of players

"Soon many Sri Lankan players will be leaving IPL to play for their country in England. The Indian cricket board should sportingly include a few good Pakistan players in their place. "There is an abundance of good Twenty20 players in Pakistan who can lift the standard of the IPL. "If India agrees to include Pakistan players in the IPL then UAE should offer to host some of the matches next year.

"With large numbers of fans from both countries there will be packed stadiums." According to Nawaz, who coaches at Emirates Cricket Training and Desert Cubs Academy, more countries should come forward to organise IPL-type tournaments. "India has unearthed many players through IPL and so other countries too should try and stage such an event," he said.

"It will help them have good back up players for Twenty20 as well as one-day teams. If not for the IPL many players who are now knocking at the doors of the Indian team would have remained unknown. "IPL is entertainment but it has contributed to the promotion of the game. It should remain free of politics."

Bangladesh gears in to IPL with Shakib

With the series against Australia over, Bangladesh is gearing up to follow the Indian Premier League. And this time they have a huge reason to cheer for the Kolkata Knight Riders. Over the past three years, the Knights have been high on fan following in this part of the world for Sourav Ganguly. This time with Ganguly not around, the IPL hype in Bangladesh has been tepid till now but that could turn on its head if Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al-Hasan takes the field for the Knight Riders on Friday.

Both skipper Gautam Gambhir and bowling consultant Wasim Akram have said they were eagerly waiting for Shakib to join the squad, which would mean the left-arm spinner, who is a handy batsman, has a strong chance in the XI.  But Shakib himself was not too sure. “The Knight Riders have begun their campaign well. I am mentally and physically right there to take the field but I am not too sure of my role as yet. Once I join the squad and talk to people I will have a better idea,” Shakib told HT from Dhaka before leaving for Jaipur on Thursday morning.

Three other players from Bangladesh have featured in the IPL before Shakib - medium-pacer Mashrafe Mortaza (KKR), left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak (RCB) and batsman Mohammad Ashraful (MI). But none of them featured in the teams on a regular basis. With Shakib tipped to play a much bigger role this time, the country of 16 crore is right behind the Knight Riders.