ISLAMABAD, Nov 28: President Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) Anwar Saifullah Wednesday played down a threat by the players to boycott next year’s Davis Cup tie against Malaysia if they were not paid for three previous ties.

Asim Shafik, Aqeel Khan and Nomi Qamar are reported to have threatened that they would not play their Davis Cup Group B first round match next February if money which the PTF owes them for two ties against Taiwan and one against Syria, is not paid promptly.

But Saifullah told Dawn that there was no threat from the players and that they would get their money. “The players play for honour and ego,” he said.

The PTF receives a sum of US$ 20,000 for each Davis Cup tie from the ITF, the sport’s world governing body.