By IANS
London : England’s dashing batsman Kevin Pieterson is desperate to play in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) and wants the cricket administrators of his country to accommodate the Twenty20 tournament in the calendar.
“As long as it doesn’t interfere with me playing for England, then I’m all for the IPL. I won’t jeopardise my England career for the IPL just yet, but the schedules have to be sorted because the England players are the only ones missing out,” Pieterson told The Times newspaper.
“There are guys in our team who could be earning a lot of money. Chris Gayle [West Indies captain] texted me the other day to ask why I’m not playing and I said, ‘I can’t.’ He just sent dollar signs in the next text message. I’m not being paid [extra] playing for Hampshire, while he’ll be copping a hundred grand a game.”
English players are missing the IPL because the 45-day tournament, starting April 18, is clashing with England’s home series against New Zealand. Players like Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Andrew Symonds will earn more than 500,000 pounds for six weeks’ work during which 59 matches will be played.
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Flintoff has no definite views on IPL
London: England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who is returning to action following a fourth operation on his troublesome left ankle, is not really keen on the IPL and is instead looking to regain his place in the national team.
At the moment, the 30-year-old burly player has only two chief targets: return to action for Lancashire and then play for England again.
“At this moment in time it is not really an option but further down the line, who knows. Everybody is asking me how I see the IPL going, where it is standing in world cricket, but I don’t know,” Flintoff was quoted as saying on www.setanta.com.
“I have got no definite thoughts either way about it because I just want to get my game in order and my cricket in order,” he said.
“Obviously ICL (the rebel Indian Cricket League) and IPL is a topic that is all around county cricket. It is a competition that you can’t hide away from – it is happening and it is now.”
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kapil supports Inzamam proposal on Twenty20 world series
Panchkula (Haryana): India’s only World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev, who is leading the rebel ICL, has supported former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq’s proposal to have a challenge series between the top Twenty20 teams of the world.
“We have good teams in the ICL like Lahore Badshahs and when the time comes and there are other leagues in action, then we can certainly think about throwing a challenge around,” Kapil said here during the best-of-three ICL finals between the Badshahs and Hyderabad Heroes.
Retired Inzamam, who is leading the Lahore Badshahs, recently said he felt that his team could challenge the other top Twenty20 teams around the world. “Inzamam is a great player and if he thinks like that then there is bound to be substance in it,” said Kapil.
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British Pakistanis protest Akhtar ban
London: Pakistanis living in England are dismayed at the five-year ban handed to fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for breach of discipline and want the penalty reduced. The ban means Akhtar, who has been bought by Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders, could miss the IPL starting April 18.
“It is very harsh when you consider that far more sacrilegious crimes, such as match-fixing, get lesser penalties,” said Dalawar Chaudhry, at a gathering of Shoaib’s supporters at his Southall restaurant to protest the punishment.