Karachi, Feb.8 : The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that it has no problem with current international cricket stars taking part in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The News quoted a senior PCB official as saying that the IPL poses no threat to the PCB's commercial interest.

"We have taken a long hard look at the contracts offered to our players and have also asked our lawyers to examine them. We are sure that the IPL doesn't affect our commercial interests in any manner," said Shafqat Naghmi, PCB's Chief Operating Officer.

Naghmi said that Pakistan's only concern was whether the IPL contract allows players to give priority to national duty.

"There is a clear clause in the contracts that a contracted player will be released from the league if he is needed for national duty and that suits us fine," he said.

Naghmi confirmed that contracts have been forwarded to the players and it is expected that they would sign them in the next few days.

Several of Pakistan's leading players including Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik, top batsmen Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, pacers Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif and all-rounder Shahid Afridi are to feature in the IPL scheduled to begin on April 18 and will run for 44 days.

Recently, pacer Umar Gul and wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal have also joined the group. Three more players Misbah-ul-Haq, Salman Butt and Sohail Tanvir will be hired directly by some of the franchise owners of the IPL. The players will be getting a pay varying from 100,000 dollars to 350,000 dollars for a single season.

ANI