PAKISTAN PREMIER LEAGUE NOT TO BE AN IPL CARBON COPY: PCB

Karachi, Jun 7 (PTI) - In a conscious effort to ensure that the proposed Pakistan Premier League (P.P.L.) does not look like a carbon copy of the hugely successful I.P.L., the cricket board here is toying with ideas like allowing five foreigners in the playing XI of a participating team. "We want the P.P.L. to be a bit different from the Indian Premier League. We want the P.P.L. to be distinguished by itself. We plan to announce our concept and plans during or after the Asia Cup," Shafqat Naghmi, the P.C.B. chief operating officer, told the 'Samaa' television channel Friday. Naghmi said a number of ideas have been discussed with the companies in a meeting in Singapore to make next year's P.P.L. a bit different from the I.P.L. "We don't want to exactly copy the I.P.L. So we are thinking about allowing teams to play five overseas players instead of four in the I.P.L.," he said. He said another difference would be that there would be around five teams in the P.P.L. and the sides would be advised to sign overseas players from one country. "Say one team would have only Australian players and the other from India ," he explained. Naghmi said he was not in a position to give a launch date for the P.P.L. but during or after the Asia Cup the board would make its plans very clear. "The response we have got from the companies has been very positive and the P.P.L. model definitely shows that private investors can make money from the league," he said. Asked whether he thought it would be easy for Pakistan to attract foreign players for the P.P.L. given the security situation and concerns expressed repeatedly by touring sides and players, Naghmi said this would not be a problem. "Look, we are hosting the Asia Cup and then we will have the Champions Trophy. After the Champions Trophy, India and Australia also play in Pakistan. So we are confident that apprehensions about the security by foreign players would disappear to a great extent." Pakistan is also expected to make a formal move at the annual International Cricket Council executive board meeting next month for allocation of a two-week window in late 2008 ornext year in the future tours program for the P.P.L.