IPL chief targets England players.

Modi is willing to move the IPL season forward to allow England players to play. Link.

Thing is, even if they did move the IPL forward, the English players who played in it would surely be knackered just before the CC season and the summer Tests. Can't be good for us. I'm beginning to wish we'd never invented 20/20. I'm a bit tired of all these stupid mickey mouse leagues messing up proper cricket.


There is a bit of encouraging news though:

But Clarke said none of the players centrally contracted to play for England, which includes top IPL targets Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen, has shown any interest in Modi's millions.

"We're not getting any pressure from anyone to play in the IPL," he said.

Lara Lara Laughs wrote:Modi is willing to move the IPL season forward to allow England players to play. Link.

Thing is, even if they did move the IPL forward, the English players who played in it would surely be knackered just before the CC season and the summer Tests. Can't be good for us. I'm beginning to wish we'd never invented 20/20. I'm a bit tired of all these stupid mickey mouse leagues messing up proper cricket.


There is a bit of encouraging news though:

But Clarke said none of the players centrally contracted to play for England, which includes top IPL targets Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen, has shown any interest in Modi's millions.

"We're not getting any pressure from anyone to play in the IPL," he said.

Y'are joking Lara? Knackered, bowling up to 4 overs a match or is it the 20 overs fielding?

Fair point.

Still, flying to India, more cricket, all the travelling in India, flying back. At the very least it will have to shorten the CC pre-season.

What is worrying to me is that you have the captain of the WI - Chris Gayle saying that he may miss 2 tests against Australia so he can take part in the IPL.

Understandable given the sums involved but bad for cricket IMO
http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/wivaus/content/story/343326.html

This hot on the heels of Shane Bond missing this test series playing in the ICL

I have no problem whatsoever with a lot of the power behind the game coming from India. But with power comes responsibility.

At the moment it looks like 'sod the rest of you, we will look after number 1'

England & Australia may not suffer but its going to really hurt the smaller test countries.

On the one hand the ICC/BCCI try to promote the game in Kenya etc and yet with the other hand they are stiffing the WI/NZ

If Gayle chooses to play in some meaningless IPL games instead of representing his country against the best side in the world he should be dropped from the Windies side for a long time. Or at least stripped of the captaincy. Disgraceful.

In forcing players to make decisions like that, the IPL is slowly undermining Test cricket.

Ian Chappell on ICL

The first thing that struck me was that I couldn't believe that the ICC didn't do a deal with the IPL to get some funds to filter off into countries like Pakistan and Sri Lanka who have got political problems, and countries like New Zealand and the West Indies who have got financial problems. I would have thought that there should have been something done to recompense these countries for the players that their system has developed who are now signing up for huge sums of money with the franchises of the IPL. I just can't believe that some sort of deal wasn't done.

Countries boards are also to blame because they could block any of these players from playing by not agreeing to release them to appear in another country. They are scared stiff however of those players turning their backs on their national teams for the cash.

I actually agree with Giles Clarke for once when he says...

"The IPL is a domestic competition and we're not going to alter our season for a domestic season in another country," he said.

I'm encouraged that Lalit Modi says they would bring forward the IPL so that English cricketers can take part. This is what needs to happen and I believe the ICC will eventually have their hands forced to restructure the FTP so that their is a gap for this without the IPL having a damaging effect on world cricket.

AFAIC, we're most likely to not be that bothered IMO anyway. Relatively, we earn pretty comfortable money domestically - the lure of whoring yourself must be at least a little less strong.

Personally, I hope we can play at some point - it's killing Northants... we've lost Thunderfart and Andrew Hall!!! I feel less Japie already, I'm almost speaking in a normal eccent. Not sure Mark Nelson = Andrew Hall personally and not sure why Thunderfart has been f*cked off by the ECB - he's not even a kolpak, he's a f*cking overseas player!!!!

Lara Lara Laughs wrote:If Gayle chooses to play in some meaningless IPL games instead of representing his country against the best side in the world he should be dropped from the Windies side for a long time. Or at least stripped of the captaincy. Disgraceful.

In forcing players to make decisions like that, the IPL is slowly undermining Test cricket.

It would be dissapointing, how could you honestly say that you wouldn't be sorely tempted to do something that will earn you the same amount of money that you usually make in one year, in one month?