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England and India agree on ...:
Two-year IPL deal
England's players will be available to play in the lucrative Indian
Premier League (IPL) both this year and next year, it was announced
Tuesday.
A joint statement issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said England
players would be available to participate in the IPL auction on February
6 and to play in the IPL "for a minimum of a three week period in 2009
and 2010".
The boards added they would be working together to try to create a
similar 'window' for the IPL in 2010 within the confines of the current
international fixture schedule.
That had threatened to stop the likes of England stars Kevin
Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff from playing any part at all in this
year's edition of the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament, where wealthy
owners of franchise teams bid to have some of the world's best players
in their sides.
But instead they will now be available to play in this year's IPL,
which runs from April 10 to May 29, for three weeks after England's
ongoing tour of the West Indies ends with a one-day international in St
Lucia on April 3.
As part of the new agreement, every England player who signs an IPL
contract will have to give 10 percent of their earnings to their county.
The BCCI and ECB added they'd also agreed to schedule Test match and
one-day international series over a four-year period starting in 2011.
ECB chief executive David Collier said in a statement: "Our agreement
is good for the players, the respective boards, our counties and for
cricket.
"We look forward to welcoming India, the reigning ICC World Twenty20
Champions, to England for the ICC World Twenty20 this (northern) summer
and for the tour of England and Wales in 2011."
Last week, England players signed their national central contracts
just as the Test side began its tour of the West Indies after protracted
talks had stalled over how long they would be allowed to play in the IPL.
The ECB had said it would only allow players to compete in the
competition for two weeks - a period which IPL chief Lalit Modi said was
too short to be of any use.
But the ECB susbsequently agreed their Test players could play in the
IPL for a three-week period and this also proved acceptable to IPL
officials.
However, the new deal means England players selected for IPL duty
this year will go into the first Test against the West Indies at Lord's
on May 7 without recent first-class match practice as the preceding
round of County Championship matches ends on May 1 and May 2.
But England captain Andrew Strauss, speaking before England flew to
the Caribbean, said appearing in a Championship fixture was not the only
way to get ready for a Test. "I believe the players who will be involved
in the IPL are experienced campaigners," Strauss said: "They didn't just
turn up yesterday. They know what Test cricket is about and know what
preparation they need."
BCCI secretary N. Srinivasan welcomed the new arrangements Tuesday by
saying: "We are very pleased with the outcome of the discussions. "BCCI
looks forward to building upon our warm relationship with the senior
officers of ECB." His comments come at a sensitive time for English
cricket, with ECB chairman Giles Clarke, in post since September 2007,
facing a challenge to his position from businessman/politician Jonathan
Marland.
Chairmen of the 18 first class counties and the MCC will vote on who
gets the job next month.
Clarke has been criticised for sanctioning England's ill-fated
participation in last year's winner-takes-all Stanford Twenty20
tournament in Antigua - which was seen by many as a sop to the players
to prevent them from taking part in the inaugural IPL. LONDON, AFP |
