Mumbai/Karachi, Dec 10 (IANS) The prospects of Pakistani cricketers playing in the third edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) received a boost after four players, Sohail Tanvir, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Gul and Kamran Akmal, were given visas by India’s home ministry. They will now have to go through the auction that is slated for Jan 19 in Mumbai.

Tanvir (Rajasthan Royals), Misbah (Royal Challengers), and Gul and Akmal (both Kolkata Knight Riders) can’t play for their original teams and will have to make themselves available by Jan 1 for the auction after which they will go into the final pool only if a franchise expresses interest in bidding for a player.

Lalit Modi, IPL chairman and commissioner, said he was happy with the government’s decision. ‘It is the first indication that things are moving towards normalcy. A final decision will be taken on Dec 17,’ he said.

The Pakistani players missed the Dec 7 deadline for the first trading window and were on the verge of missing the IPL for the second consecutive time. They missed this year’s edition after the Indian government decided against clearing their visit because of security concerns in the aftermath of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. The tournament was later shifted to South Africa but by then the players’ participation in the event was ruled out.

India’s decision to issue visas came just a couple of days after Modi announced that Pakistani players would have to be left out since they didn’t have their paperwork in order despite two extensions to the deadline.

But even after getting all the visa clearances it might still be tough for Pakistani players’ to get a deal from the franchises.

‘All the teams, who were expected to sign up Pakistani players, have now got their replacements. And it will be tough for them to get a good deal in the auction,’ an IPL official said.