Pakistan bars players from IPL

Pakistan has barred its cricketers from competing in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament in the wake of last year's terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

"We have been informed by the foreign ministry today that the situation is not conducive for Pakistan cricketers to travel to India," Sports Minister Aftab Jilani told the Associated Press on Monday.

Jilani last week gave a No Objection Certificate allowing Pakistan cricketers to compete in the IPL. Five Pakistan cricketers - Yasir Hameed, Yasir Arafat, Asim Kamal, Danish Kaneria and Mohammad Hafeez - were due to appear in the IPL player auction at the Indian state of Goa on Feb. 10.

"We (the Sports Ministry) had given the NOC, but the final decision was up to the government," Jilani said.

The minister said that one of the reasons given by the Pakistan's foreign ministry for the ban was that relations between India and Pakistan are tense in the wake of the terrorist November attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai.

ISLAMABAD, AP