'SL players are under threat from IPL franchises against touring Pakistan': Afridi

Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi blamed the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises for putting pressure on top Sri Lanka cricketers for not touring Pakistan.

Sri Lanka's cricket board on Thursday confirmed that the team will be touring Pakistan despite fears that players could be the targets of terror attacks during the six-match visit.

However, a few Sri Lanka cricketers including ODI and T20I captain Lasith Malinga and Dimuth Karunaraten had decided to pull out from Sri Lanka tour of Pakistan citing security reasons.

Afridi, who reportedly had a chat with a few Sri Lankan players, told him that they don’t want to tour Pakistan and even take part in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) but cannot do it because of the pressure from IPL franchises. In a video interview, Afridi claimed that the IPL threatened not to give Sri Lankan players a contract if they toured Pakistan.

“Sri Lankan players are under pressure from IPL franchises. I spoke to Sri Lanka players last time when there was talk of them coming to Pakistan & playing in PSL. They said they wanted to come, but IPL guys say if you go to Pakistan we won’t give you a contract,” Afridi was quoted as saying by a senior Pakistani journalist.

“Pakistan’s always supported SL, it never happened that we had a tour of SL & our players rested. SL’s board should put pressure on their contracted players to go to Pakistan. SL players who’ll come will always be remembered in Pakistan’s history,” Afridi added.

Sri Lanka are scheduled to play three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches in Pakistan between September 27 and October 9.