The Pakistan Cricket Board is hoping that an improvement in bilateral relations with India would pave the way for its local Twenty20 champions Sialkot Stallions' participation in the Champions League in October. "If political and diplomatic relations improve before October anything is possible and we can press the Indian board to include our national champions in the league as well," a

PCB source said.

Though the PCB officials were silent on the Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi's statement that Pakistan would not be represented in the lucrative Champions League this year, sources said a change in decision could not be ruled out.

"The fact is that the Champions League is being held in India and given current situation only the government can decide when sporting ties will become normal with India," a source said.

"If political and diplomatic relations improve before October anything is possible and we can press the Indian board to include our national champions in the league as well," the source said. He said the issue of the Champions League would be discussed when the board officials of Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh meet in Dubai on June with ICC officials to discuss the World Cup affairs. Sialkot Stallions includes top players like former captain Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Asif.