ECB Could Pull Flintoff Out Of IPL
The England and Wales Cricket Board may intervene and bar Andrew Flintoff from playing in the Indian Premier League after the all-rounder picked up a hip injury.
Flintoff, who picked up the injury during last week’s Test match between England and the West Indies, could be withdrawn from competing in the lucrative IPL on fitness grounds according to ECB chief executive David Collier.
With the England v Australia Ashes series coming up in the summer, there are concerns that Flintoff could aggravate the injury further by participating in the IPL and miss the crucial home Test series.
Said Collier: ‘We would need to review it, obviously this has just happened. But there are injury provisions in both sides of the contracts.
‘We’d be concerned if any player was carrying an injury that may affect his participation in the Ashes series and we’ll look at that as we move forward.
‘There are medical clauses. The IPL are very responsible in that area and we have very, very strong relationships with Chennai. Andrew’s own team will also be looking at the injury prognosis.’
All-rounder Flintoff, who fetched the joint highest price along with Kevin Pietersen at the IPL auction with both players fetching a record-breaking $1.55m (£1.1m), is set to play for Chennai Super Kings in April when the IPL begins.
The ECB has allowed Flintoff, Pietersen and Paul Collingwood to play for a maximum three weeks of the six-week IPL season, while Ravi Bopara and Owais Shah have also been signed up to play in India.
