Suspended Pakistan players set to meet with Modi

Sohail Tanvir, the left-arm fast bowler, has said he and other Pakistan players will go to South Africa to discuss their IPL suspension with tournament chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi.

The Pakistan Cricket Board had earlier banned its players from participating in the IPL after the country's relations with India deteriorated after the terror attacks in Mumbai in November. When the tournament was moved out of India - over security reasons - the Pakistan players were hopeful of returning but IPL officials said it wouldn't be possible as the squads had already been finalised earlier.

"A number of issues need to be discussed and we'll be accompanied by a representative of the company we've engaged to handle our case," Tanvir, the highest wicket-taker in the 2008 IPL season,told the Kolkata-based Telegraph. "I strongly feel the IPL should've reviewed our status, especially after our government issued the NOCs once the tournament moved out of India."

Six Pakistani players had their contracts terminated by their franchises before the IPL auction in February. But Tanvir and Kamran Akmal of the Rajasthan Royals, Umar Gul of the Kolkata Knight Riders and Misbah-ul-Haq of the Bangalore Royal Challengers only had their contracts suspended, thereby leaving the door open for a potential return.

"I believe we should've been allowed to play once the IPL was shifted to South Africa," he said. "I'm confident I would've matched, if not bettered, last year's record [22 wickets in 11 games]."

The four suspended players had in February appealed to the President of Pakistan to compensate them for the loss in earnings brought about by the government's decision to not allow them to travel to India and take part. Asked whether compensation from the franchises would be high on their agenda, Tanvir said that would indeed be discussed in South Africa.

Tanvir was also concerned about the lack of quality competition ahead of next month's ICC World Twenty20 in England. "You can only gain by playing with and against the best in the world," he said. "However, our board has worked out a schedule, whereby we'll get to play some Twenty20 matches at home, before we leave for England."