Deal Allows England Stars To Compete In IPL

The England and Wales Cricket Board has reached an agreement with the Indian Premier League releasing England players to participate in the lucrative Twenty20 tournament for a three-week period.

It is thought up to six England players could be involved in the IPL in April with Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff sure to be two of the star attractions at the player auction on 6th February during which the various franchises bid to land their preferred players.

The ECB had previously insisted it would only release England players for a two-week window, which Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi said was unacceptable.

A compromise now seems to have been reached, with players likely to be selected in England’s squad for the first Test against the West Indies at Lord’s starting on 6th May allowed to play in the IPL for up to 21 days.

The ECB will also ensure that its Test players are available for a three-week period in 2010.

Any England players signed for the IPL but deemed unlikely to make the Test squad by the ECB would be available for up to 28 days.

The initial list of players for the next IPL auction will be published this weekend, with 27th January the closing date for additions.

The second IPL season gets underway on 10th April, just seven days after England complete their current tour to the West Indies.

A return home series against the same opponents starts at Lord’s on 6th May, which means England Test players competing in the IPL would arrive home just five days beforehand leaving little time for practice or preparation.

Sean Morris, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, stated: ‘It’s reasonably tight, but with the way the international schedule is these days, you’re on a treadmill all the time.

‘It was a question of there being lots of benefits to playing in the IPL against the best players in the world, so there was a question of how could we make it possible for them to take advantage of this.

‘Everyone has had to be a bit flexible, so I’m delighted ECB have been and the players can participate as a result.’

The IPL was launched last year after the eight team franchises were sold for £368m and TV rights packages for £500m.

The player auction followed and the two biggest deals saw India captain Mahendra Dhoni signed by the Chennai Super Kings for £770,000 ($1.5m), and Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds join the Hyderabad-based Deccan Chargers for £694,000 ($1.35m).

One potential problem, however, concerns the participation of Indian players in the inaugural English Premier League (EPL) in 2010.

‘There is a clause which the ECB has put as part of the players’ contract, that’s what I have been given to understand,’ said IPL’s Modi.

‘If an English player signs with a particular IPL franchise, the Indian players of that franchise must be made available to the EPL structure.

‘I don’t think our franchises can agree or deliver that. I don’t think the IPL is going to be able to agree a quid pro quo agreement – that’s not going to happen.’

As a result of the agreement reached between the ECB and the IPL, the England players have finally signed their central contracts with the governing body which have been on the table since September.