Best bowler award for Sohail Tanvir in Twenty20 cricket

Pakistan pacer Sohail Tanvir, representing Rajhastan Royals in the Indian Premier League, was declared the best bowler in the Twenty20 cricket awards.

The award giving ceremony will be telecast by Geo Super tonight at 8-30.

In the ceremony held in New Delhi, Suhail Tanvir was given the best bowler award for taking six wickets for 14 runs against Chennai Super Kings in the first edition of the IPL.

Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik gave him the award trophy in the ceremony.

Australian player Shaun Marsh of the Punjab Kings XI was declared the best batsman for scoring at the highest average of 68.44 in the event. His award, in his absence, was received by Shane Watson.

The only award winning by an Indian player, was given to Kolkata Knight Riders all- rounder Laxman Rattan Shukla for the best strike rate in bowling.

Award for the best strike rate in batting went to Graham Napier of the English side Essex Eagles.

An special award was given to Sialkot Stallions for achieving the most victories (16) in the Twenty20 format. This award was received by its captain Shoaib Malik.

I never asked to remove Laxman from captaincy

Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi said that he never demanded to remove Venkat Laxman from captaincy of IPL team Deccan Chargers and his statement in this regard was distorted.

Star all-rounder Shahid Afridi said that the new chief executive of Deccan Chargers, Tim Wright had asked him about his statement regarding Laxman and he explained the matter and told him that his statement was distorted.

Afridi said that he never demanded to remove Laxman from the captaincy. Howevewr, he had said that Laxman was not the player of Twenty20 format.

He further said that Tim Wright had also listened to the video of his statement.

Shahid Afridi said that he regards Laxman and the team management of Deccan Chargers very much and now this issue remains no more and he expresses good wishes to Laxman for the series against Australia.

Last week, the team management of Deccan Chargers removed Venkat Laxman from the captaincy and appointed Adam Gilchrist the new captain in his place.

IPL sets October 11 date for Asif hearing

Mohammad Asif will be appearing before the IPL drugs tribunal on October 11 after testing positive for the banned steroid, nandrolone, during the tournament.

Asif's lawyer Shahid Karim told reporters that the fast bowler received a letter from the IPL asking him to appear before the tribunal on the said date. Sunder Raman, the IPL chief executive, confirmed the date and said the meeting would be held in Mumbai.

Originally scheduled for August 30, soon after his B sample also tested positive, the hearing was pushed back after a request from Asif. A decision will be arrived at by the three-man panel set up by the IPL comprising former India opener Sunil Gavaskar, doctor Ravi Bapat and lawyer Shirish Gupte.

Besides his lawyer, Asif will be accompanied by his consultant, Dr Graham Durgan, and if found guilty he is likely to be handed a two-year ban from the IPL which will apply to both domestic and international cricket.

'Afridi has no team ethics' - Laxman

VVS Laxman, the Deccan Chargers captain, has said that it was a "collective failure" that resulted in the franchise finishing last during the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League in 2007-08 and said he was "really shocked" that team-mate Shahid Afridi criticised his performance in public.

"Afridi has no team ethics. Speaking negatively about the team in public, let alone the captain, is just not on,"

Laxman told cricketnext.com.

"Being an experienced cricketer, he should not be questioning the way the team functions. I am really shocked to say the least. He should know that it was a collective failure because he was part of the team. It is unfortunate that he chose to blame the captain for it."

Laxman was reacting to Afridi's statement that Adam Gilchrist would have been a better choice to lead the side than Laxman.

"At times Laxman lost the plot on the field,"

Afridi told News.

"Twenty20 cricket is not his forte. Adam is more comfortable in this type of cricket.

"Gilchrist was one of the two most successful players for us along with Rohit Sharma. He played some really good innings and his input was very good at times on the field. If they do appoint Adam as captain I think he would be a better choice than Laxman."

Both Laxman and Afridi performed poorly during the IPL. Afridi was one of the most high-profile failures, scoring only 81 runs in ten innings. Laxman sustained an injury after six games, in which he scored 155 runs, and Gilchrist took over as captain. The Deccan Chargers won only two out of 14 games in the league.

"Probably it is time someone told Afridi that a captain can only be as good as the team and to blame only me is totally out of place,"

Laxman said.

"The truth is that the team did not perform to its potential. Every player should take the blame for it and try and comeback strongly in the next edition instead of blaming each other.

"There was not much I could do after I fractured my hand and heeded the team's request to travel with it. So just being with the team does not mean I was influencing the decisions on the field. Gilchrist was totally in charge of the game once he took over from me and being a true professional, he does not take orders from others and was instrumental in making the decisions in the middle."

Asif requests IPL to extend ‘B sample’ deadline

Fast bowler Mohammad Asif has requested the Indian Premier League for extending his ‘B Sample’ dope test deadline which was set for August 6.

Asif’s lawyer Shahid Karim told Geo News that the Swiss embassy informed him that it has no objection on issuing the visa today but his passport cannot be returned under a procedure. Thus, he cannot leave for Switzerland today, so it would be better to get a new deadline for ‘B sample’ then he would be issued the visa immediately according to the new date.

Shahid Karim told that the IPL in this regard has been e-mailed for extending the date for ‘B sample’ as the travel documents of Asif are not complete.

The reply from the IPL for setting a new deadline for ‘B sample’ test is being awaited.

IPL fixes deadline of Aug 6 for Asif’s ‘B sample’

The Indian Premier League has fixed a new deadline for fast bowler Mohammad Asif’s dope test ‘B sample’.

Asif’s lawyer Shahid Karim told Geo News that the IPL management has set August 6 as a new deadline for ‘B sample’ of the fast bowler and sent necessary documents along with the invitation. Now, an urgent request for visa for Switzerland is being sent.

He said that he would go with Asif to Switzerland where the ‘B sample’ is available at a laboratory for dope test of Mohammad Asif.

He said that if there is any delay in completing traveling documents then the IPL would be requested for further extension of deadline.

The lawyer of Mohammad Asif further said that the IPL had earlier set a deadline of July 28 for ‘B sample’ but he requested to the IPL for extending the date as travel documents were not complete.

Asif demands B sample test from IPL

Fast bowler Mohammad Asif has formally contacted the Indian Premier League for getting a ‘B sample’ test after testing positive for a banned substance during play in the IPL.

His lawyer Shahid Karim told Geo News here on Wednesday that he has held a detailed meeting with Mohammad Asif in which it was decided to make an immediate contact with the IPL and demand for a ‘B sample’ test.

The IPL management has been mailed and asked that Asif wants a ‘B sample’ and seeks guidance in this regard.

The IPL has also been asked that what the procedure was adopted for the first sample test.

Shahid Karim told that no letter regarding suspension has so far been received from the Pakistan Cricket Board and the future strategy would be decided after receiving the letter.
The IPL announced on Monday that the 25-year-old fast bowler had failed a drugs test at the lucrative Twenty20 tournament held from April to June.

"We will fight the case because we believe that our client has not taken any drug so we will go for the B sample test and do whatever required to clear Asif's name,"

lawyer Shahid Karim said.

The announcement, the latest in a series of shocks for Pakistani cricket, comes a month after Asif was seized at Dubai airport while returning home from India on charges of possessing opium.

He was detained for 19 days before being deported by police in the Gulf emirate, who said the quantity of illegal drugs found was "insignificant."

In October 2006, Asif was banned for one year and fellow fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar for two years after they failed dope tests conducted internally by the PCB.

The bans were however overturned on appeal.

Shahid Karim said Asif was shocked at the development but was very confident that his name would be cleared.

"Asif is a talented bowler and wants to play for his country. He is confident that he will get out of this trouble and play again for the country,"

said Karim.

Bright star Asif slips into the darkness

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif has gone from bright new hope to fallen star in the space of just two years and his latest troubles could spell the end of his career.

The 25-year-old paceman was on Monday identified as the player who failed a drugs test during the April-June Indian Premier League and now faces a lengthy ban from the game.

It may prove to be the last twist in a career which was tainted by a first doping row in 2006, a fight with fellow paceman Shoaib Akhtar in September last year and a 19-day detention in Dubai on charges of possessing an illegal drug last month.

Former captain Wasim Akram said Asif is another example of a career which has spiralled out of control.

"Boys like Asif come from small towns and they are unable to handle the fame and money so they get distracted and I'm disappointed at the fate such a talented bowler has met,"

said Wasim.

There has never been any doubt over Asif's talents with the ball.

When he dismissed legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar during his match and series-winning seven-wicket haul in Karachi in January 2006, he was instantly compared with Australian master quick Glenn McGrath.

Asif followed it up with 17 wickets to help Pakistan beat Sri Lanka 2-0 two months later.

Nominated as one of the International Cricket Council's emerging players of 2006, he was hailed as the "bowler of this generation" by none other than legendary Pakistani all-rounder Imran Khan.

Asif hails from a village called Machikay, near Sheikhupura, a small town in central Punjab which also produced medium fast bowler Rana Naved-ul Hasan.

He caught the selectors' eye with a burst of 7-35 for Sialkot in a first-class match in 2005 and was handed a ticket to Australia with the Pakistan national team.

His first international outing at Sydney proved a forgettable experience as his 18 overs in Pakistan's third loss in as many Tests went wicketless.

But the determined novice worked hard to ensure it was not his last, undergoing a short stint at India's MRF pace academy under the eagle eye of former Australian legend Dennis Lillee.

He showed signs of improvement by taking ten wickets in a first-class match against Ashes-winning Michael Vaughan's England in November 2005.

Injuries to his back and elbow stopped him showing his true potential, however and he missed Pakistan's first three Tests in England in the summer of 2006.

He finally arrived with a bang at the Oval, grabbing 4-56 to help Pakistan gain the upper hand before his team ended up forfeiting the game in a protest over ball-tampering allegations.

He was expected to lead Pakistan's attack on Indian pitches during the Champions Trophy before the dope test saga unfurled.

He and fellow paceman Shoaib Akhtar tested positive for nandrolone.

Akhtar was banned for two years and Asif for one year but the bans were however overturned on appeals.

Asif promised that he would learn from the first pitfall, but recent developments suggest otherwise.

Asif fails in dope test at IPL: Indian Board

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif tested positive for a banned substance during random testing at the Indian Premier League, the Indian Cricket Board announced on Monday.

The Indian Cricket Board has confirmed the player in violation during the IPL is Mohammad Asif.

Asif, 25, played for the Delhi Daredevils team in the IPL, a lucrative Twenty20 tournament that ran from April 18-June 1 and featured the world's top players.

The Pakistan Cricket Board had been informed of Asif's positive test and it depended on the player if he wanted his 'B' sample to be tested, the statement added.

"It was also checked if Mr Asif had applied for and was granted a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE),"

the statement said.

"It was found that Mr. Asif had not applied for a TUE. A note in writing has been sent to the player and his home board and to the franchisee on the findings,"

it added.

Officials compared the result from the WADA-approved laboratory in Switzerland with data collected by IDTM, the Sweden-based independent agency which organised testing in accordance with World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) standards.

The nature of the banned substance has not been disclosed.

The Pakistan Cricket Board had been informed of Asif's positive test and it depended on the player if he wanted his 'B' sample to be tested, the statement added.

If Asif takes up the offer the case will be referred to the IPL's three-member Drugs Tribunal that includes former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, once the results of the 'B' sample are known.

The lanky seamer faces a ban from future editions of the IPL and possible punishment from the Pakistan board if all tests go against him.

Asif was detained at Dubai airport for three weeks for possessing opium while returning from the IPL in June. But Dubai public prosecutors dropped the case citing "insignificance" and deported him to Pakistan.

Asif, who made his international debut in January, 2005, has so far played 11 Tests and taken 51 wickets at an average of 23.13.

He also has 36 wickets from 31 one-day internationals and 12 wickets in nine Twenty20 internationals.

Sohail Tanvir, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Akhtar back home

Fast bowler of the IPL winning Rajasthan Royals Sohail Tanvir and wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal arrived in Lahore while Shoaib Akhtar was present in the same flight but he proceeded to Islamabad without talking with media.

Winning the best bowler of the IPL award, Sohail Tanvir and Kamran Akmal arrived in Lahore from Delhi on Wednesday.

Talking with media at the Lahore airport, Sohail Tanvir said that he has learnt a lot under the captaincy of Shane Warne which will benefit him in future.

He said that Paksitan team would definitely win in the tri-nation series.

Rajasthan Royals clinch IPL championship

Rajasthan Royals clinched IPLTwenty20 championship by defeating Chennai Super Kings in IPL final at the lesser known DY Patil Stadium.

Rajasthan Royals defeated Chennai Super Kings by three wickets in the much awaited final of the 45 days Indian Premier League's extravaganza.

The grand finale saw the battle of "Greatest leg Spinner" of the world with the young Indian captain who led an inexperienced Indian team to win the first Twenty-20 world cup, however, Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne successfully led the team towards grand victory.

Shoaib five-year ban suspended for one month

Shoaib Akhtar has been cleared to play in the IPL after the Appellate Tribunal decided to suspend his five-year ban for one month, until they reconvene on June 4.

Lalit Modi, the chairman and commissioner of the IPL, confirmed that Shoaib could play the tournament.

Farrukh Aftab, the head of the three-man tribunal, announced the decision.

"We have suspended the ban for one month and the next hearing will be held on June 4,"

Aftab told reporters in Lahore.

"Had we not suspended the ban, he could not have been played the in IPL, which we thought was injustice to Akhtar."

The tribunal's decision to grant Shoaib a temporary reprieve comes after his lawyers pressed for the suspension of his ban.

Lalit Modi, the chairman and commissioner of the IPL, confirmed that Shoaib could play the tournament.

"We look forward to Shoaib playing for us,"

Modi told an Indian news channel.

"I am going to call him immediately and invite him to come to Kolkata tonight or tomorrow morning."

Shoaib will now join the Kolkata Knight Riders, who signed him for US$425,000 in the player auctions.

Appellate Tribunal calls for the details of PCB-IPL letters

Appellate Tribunal Chief, Justice ® Aftab Farrukh has called for the details of the correspondence between Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Indian Board and the managements of IPL, following the Tribunal’s interim decision, while the PCB lawyer said that he has submitted the relevant clarification and would do so if required in future also, as he could never think of interfering in the Tribunal’s proceedings.

Appellate Tribunal Chief Justice ® Aftab Farrukh summoning PCB lawyer, Tafazzul Rizvi in his office had called for clarification of the correspondence with the IPL and Indian Board. Later, he told Geo News that as Shoaib Akhtar matters were still under hearing, but several news with reference to PCB legal advisor appeared after the interim order, therefore, clarification was called for so that it could be ascertained whether his action was aimed at influencing the Tribunal’s proceedings.

Kolkata crush Bangalore by 140 runs in IPL opener

Kolkata Knight Riders recorded a massive victory of 140 runs over Bangalore Royal Challengers in the inaugural match of the Indian Premier League here at the Chinnaswami Stadium on Friday.

Set an improbable target of 223 runs in 20 overs, Bangalore batsmen were seen in trouble right from the beginning and the whole team was bundled out for 82 in 15.1 overs.

None of their batsmen could enter into double figure except Praveen Kumar, who made 18 runs and remained not out.

However, it was interesting to note that Bangalore’s highest scorer was not any batsman but ‘Mr. Extras’, who contributed 19 runs with eight leg-byes and eleven wides.

From Kolkata Knight Riders, pacer Ajit Agarkar was the most successful bowler with three wickets for 25 runs while Ashok Dinda and captain Sourav Ganguly claimed two wickets each for nine and 21 runs, respectively.

Earlier, Rahul Dravid, captain of the Bangalore Royal Challengers won the toss and opted to field but his decision went wrong when the Kolkata batsmen severely punished his bowlers to amass a huge score of 222 runs for three wickets in the allotted 20 overs.

However, this was one man show as Kolkata’s opener Brendon McCullum hammered an unbeaten 158 off just 73 balls with 14 big sixes and nine fours.

This is the highest individual score by any batsman in Twenty20 cricket.

No other batsman made any significant score as Ricky Ponting (20), Michael Hussey (12) and captain Sourav Ganguly(10) went back to pavilion one after another.

Mohammad Hafeez from Pakistan was unbeaten on five.

Zaheer Khan, A. Noffke and Jacques Kallis claimed one wicket each.

Geo Super gave the live coverage of the match as it obtained the exclusive telecast rights for showing all matches of the tournament, which will continue till June 8.

The commencement of IPL has taken the entire world of cricket by storm. IPL is literally a cricket league but this is in fact the beginning of a revolution which will change the history of cricket.

The opening ceremony was a blend of fireworks, stilt walkers, aerial gymnasts, performers in a bubble and some Bollywood glitter with the presence of Shah Rukh Khan, also the co-owner of the Kolkata team.

Kolkata and Bangalore teams clash in IPL opener tomorrow

Tomorrow, there will be a powerful blast which will affect the entire world of cricket.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is literally a cricket league but this is in fact the beginning of a revolution which will change the history of cricket.

There will be a sensational contest between Kolkata Knight Riders and Bangalore Royal Challengers at the Chinnaswamy Stadium of Bangalore.

Former captains of India Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly are leading the teams of Bangalore Royal Challengers and Kolkata Knight Riders, respectively.

Great cricket stars like Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul of the West Indies, Nathan Baracken and David Hussey of Australia, Mark Boucher and Jaques Kallis of South Africa and others will be seen in action in this inaugural match of the IPL.

Together with the glamour of Bollywood, a new style of sports and entertainment will take place at the Chinnaswamy Stadium of Bangalore on April 18.

The opening ceremony will be a blend of fireworks, stilt walkers, aerial gymnasts, performers in a bubble and some Bollywood glitter with the presence of Shah Rukh Khan, also the co-owner of the Kolkata team, and Preity Zinta, co-owner of the Mohali franchise.

The Bangalore Royal Challengers, to be led by Rahul Dravid, will include Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Mark Boucher, Wasim Jaffer, Sunil Joshi, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Misbah-ul-Haq, Devraj Patil, Jacques Kallis, Dayle Steyn, Vinay Kumar, Cameron White and Nathan Bracken.

The Kolkata Knight Riders, to be captained by Sourav Ganguly, will consist of Ajit Agarkar, Akash Chopra, Chris Gayle, David Hussey, Murali Kartik, Mohammad Hafeez, Tetenda Taibu, Brendon McCullum, Ricky Ponting, Ishant Sharma, Laxmi Shukla and Yashpal Singh.

Bangalore Royal Challengers, which is owned by Vijay Mallya, the business tycoon, is playing a key role in organising the opening ceremony on their home ground in association with the Karnataka State Cricket Association and the IPL.

IPL also imposes ban on Shoaib Akhtar

Indian Premier League (IPL) also banned Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, following the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announcement banning the player for five years, saying Thursday Shoaib cannot play cricket in India.

IPL commissioner Lalith Modi, said that Shoaib Akhtar cannot play for IPL according to the IPL law until the PCB clears him, as chairman PCB banned him from playing not only the domestic cricket but also international cricket.

Replying to a question, Lalith Modi said that the IPL law says that it cannot allow a player who is banned by the cricket board of his own country.

On the other hand, the Indian Cricket League (ICL) Chairman Kapil Dev said the restriction may end Shoaib’s career, adding he feels sorry for the cricketer; however, it seems quite strange to take such a player who is banned in his own country.

Talking to Geo News, sources said Shah Rukh has another option in place of the ace Pakistani bowler.

Verdict on Yousuf against IPL participation on April 30

An Indian arbitration panel which heard the case filed by Indian Cricket League (ICL) to stop Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf from playing in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) would not announce its final order before April 30, ICL lawyer said.

ICL legal adviser Hitesh Jain told Geo television from Mumbai that the panel had reserved its final order on the case to announce it on April 30.

This would rule out Yousuf, who was not put on IPL players’ auction in February because of the case, from playing a major part of the IPL which starts on April 18 even if the panel rules in his favour.

ICL had filed a case against Yousuf that he had first signed a contract with it and hence could not join IPL. The league had also disputed Yousuf’s claim that he had returned the advance payment amount he got from ICL to an ICL agent in Pakistan.

Jain said since the arbitration panel had reserved its order for final pronouncement the stay order on Yousuf from playing in the IPL remained.

“We are expecting a judgement where Yousuf will be prevented from participating in the IPL. Our case is that Yousuf has not returned the advance amount to ICL or to an authorised agent of ICL,”

Jain said.

“The person to whom Yousuf claimed to have returned the money is not ICL’s agent in Pakistan and therefore ICL has not received any money from Yousuf. ICL still holds that there is a binding contract between ICL and Yousuf and he can’t participate in any competing league during the term of the contract,”

Jain said.

Sri Lanka tour of Pakistan hits IPL roadblock

Sri Lanka's proposed series of one-day internationals against Pakistan next month is in jeopardy due to a clash of dates with the cash-rich Indian Premier League.

Sri Lanka had offered to play in the short series following a pull-out by Australia from a full tour of Pakistan in March-April due to security concerns. But the dates of the series -- from April 23 to May 5 -- are in direct clash with the inaugural Twenty20 league, to be played over 44 days at various venues in India from April 18 to June 1.

The lure of playing in the cash-rich IPL ahead of the Pakistan series could prompt top Sri Lankan players to shun their national colours, media reports said Sunday.

Captain Mahela Jayawardene, key batsman Kumar Sangakkara and spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan are among a host of Sri Lankan players contracted to play in the IPL.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the governing body for the sport here, would be helpless to prevent the players from playing in the league as they are currently bound only by the West Indies tour contract, a news publication reported.

It said the players, currently in the West Indies to play two Tests and three one-day internationals, had deliberated at length over the clash.

"It is reliably learnt that there was a meeting amongst the Lankan cricketers on Friday at Guyana on the next course of action they were to take if they don't get the required permission to play in the IPL,"

the daily said.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has said that it was willing to offer SLC 800,000 dollars for the series of five one-day internationals, slated to be held from April 23 to May 5, but only if they send their full team.

The clash of dates has apparently also upset the Indian Cricket Board with a top official reported to have expressed his displeasure over the Pakistan tour to his counterpart in Sri Lanka over telephone.

SLC chief Arjuna Ranatunga is banking on the Indian tour in July-August to pull the board out of financial difficulties. A possible Indian decision to cancel the tour would cost Sri Lanka more than a million dollars.

Yousuf's IPL future to be decided on March 29

A decision on whether or not Mohammad Yousuf will be allowed to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) is expected to be made on March 29, following a final hearing of the Mumbai-based arbitration court looking into the dispute.

Yousuf had initially signed up for the unsanctioned Indian Cricket League (ICL) last year, seemingly in protest after he was dropped from the Pakistan squad for the Twenty20 World Championships. The Pakistan board, however, eventually convinced him to change his mind and renege on his contract, luring him back with the promise of an IPL contract.

The ICL, understandably, took the matter to an arbitration court, claiming that Yousuf had already signed up and his contract prevented him from playing in any rival league. The matter has been stuck in a legal limbo since then, a few hearings this year so far not resolving anything.

Yousuf was the only player whose services remained unsold at the recent IPL auctions, franchises undoubtedly hesitant over his legal status. Yousuf himself is said to be annoyed that the Pakistan board hasn't resolved the matter yet, but officials maintain that full support is being provided.

"The PCB is fully defending Yousuf's decision to play in the IPL,"

Nasim Ashraf, chairman PCB, told Cricinfo.

"We have lawyers in India handling the matter and a legal representative from the board has also been there at the hearings. The last hearing went on for considerably longer than expected but a final decision is now expected on March 29."

Ashraf also revealed that though Yousuf had not been 'bought' by any franchise, the IPL had guaranteed to match the package that the ICL had offered to him initially.

Oz Government Rubbish Rumours

Australia's foreign minister has dismissed suggestions that his nation's tour of Pakistan was scrapped because of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The world champions announced on Tuesday that they would postpone their tour of the troubled country, which has witnessed a spate of suicide bombings since the general election.

But Australia have not actually toured Pakistan since 1998 and the fact that a number of their senior players have signed up to the inaugural IPL, which begins on April 18, has raised suspicion in some circles.

Foreign minister Stephen Smith has denied the new Twenty20 tournament entered into the decision process though, with Cricket Australia (CA) now looking to arrange a one-day series in the unscheduled six-week gap that exists.

"I have seen suggestions that somehow the decision by Cricket Australia and the Pakistan Cricket Board is related to proposed Twenty20 games in India. I absolutely reject that suggestion,"

Smith said.

"What was most concerning for Cricket Australia was the safety, security and welfare of their players on any proposed tour."