KARACHI, Jan 21 Former Pakistan sports captains on Thursday demanded a boycott of the hockey World Cup in India next month to protest at Pakistani cricketers being snubbed by the Indian Premier League (IPL).

None of Pakistan's 11 players included in the IPL auction in Mumbai on Tuesday were sold despite their national team being the reigning world Twenty20 champions, ending hopes of Pakistani cricketers featuring in the third edition.

“Pakistani cricketers were treated badly by India, so to keep our national pride we must not send our hockey team to the World Cup,” said former Pakistan hockey captain and coach Islahuddin Siddiqui.

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) event is due to be played in New Delhi from Feb 28 to March 13. Arch-rivals India and Pakistan will face off on the opening day of the 12-nation tournament.Pakistan's National Assembly also cancelled a parliamentary delegation's trip to India as a protest against the IPL move, while the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) said it will follow the government's advice.

“So far, we have not received any directives from the government to boycott the event, so our team is scheduled to compete in the World Cup,” Shahzad Malik said. “We have to follow government policy and will seek the government's permission to send the national team to India.”

Former cricket captain Zaheer Abbas also called for a boycott.

“We should adopt a clear policy on sports with India and if they have not allowed our players in the IPL then we must not send our hockey team to the World Cup,” Zaheer stated.

Meanwhile, on the other hand, Pakistan's Sports Minister Ijaz Jhakrani wants the national hockey team should compete at the World Cup in India despite the IPL disregard meted out to Pakistan's cricketers.

“The only way to answer India is to go and compete in the [hockey] World Cup and win it,” Jhakrani said. “Sports should not be mixed with politics.”

However, he also appealed to Pakistan's cable television stations to not show any IPL matches. “It would be another solid response to India.”

Jamshed Dasti, chairman of the lower house's standing committee on sports, has summoned Pakistan Cricket Board officials on Feb 3 to explain why Pakistan cricketers were ignored by the IPL organisers.

“I feel that as a nation we were humiliated and it needs an explanation from the cricket board officials,” Dasti said.

In protest at the IPL rejection, the speaker of the Pakistan government's lower house stopped a parliamentary delegation's visit to India.

India stalled bilateral cricket with Pakistan after blaming attacks in November 2008 on its commercial hub Mumbai on a Pakistan-based militant group. But they still contest other sports.

An Indian boxing team participated in an international event in Karachi earlier this month, while Pakistan has sent its snooker, tennis, wrestling and badminton teams to India in the last two years.—Agencies