India, April 17 -- Lalit Modi, the architect behind the IPL's rise into a global cricketing powerhouse, has spoken candidly about why Pakistan players are no longer part of the tournament. He pointed to the deep-rooted political interference within the Pakistan Cricket Board as a major factor behind their continued absence.

While Pakistani cricketers featured in the league's inaugural season, the situation changed drastically after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Rising political tensions between India and Pakistan prompted the BCCI to bar their participation, a stance that remains unchanged as relations have only deteriorated further over the years. Since then, the two nations have avoided bilateral series, meeting only in ICC and ACC ...