MUMBAI: The 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) that is slated to commence from today, 23 March 2019, will not be telecast in Pakistan, confirmed the country’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) Fawad Ahmed Chaudhry.
The decision comes a month after DSport decided to stop the live coverage of the Pakistan Super League 2019 in India, in the wake of the Pulwama attack last month.
Chaudhry was quoted as saying, “During the PSL, the way the Indian companies and the government treated Pakistan cricket after that, we can’t tolerate that IPL is shown in Pakistan.”
The demand to take strict action against the Indian cricket team, for sporting camouflage caps during an ODI in a five-match series against Australia, was made by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to the International Cricket Council (ICC). However, ICC confirmed that the BCCI had taken prior permission.
“We tried to keep politics and cricket apart but then the Indian cricket team played matches wearing army caps against Australia and there was no action taken against it,” said Chaudhry
The minister further claimed, “I feel if IPL is not shown in Pakistan, it will be a loss for IPL and Indian cricket. We are a cricketing superpower in international cricket.”