By IANS
Brisbane : Retiring Australian wicketkeeper batsman Adam Gilchrist will be cleared to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament this year, the media reported Wednesday.
Although there is an agreement between the organisers and national boards that there would be a two-year waiting period for retiring players, Gilchrist, 36, will be an exception.
Gilchrist’s manager Stephen Atkinson said Cricket Australia (CA) had given the wicketkeeper an understanding that he would be free to play in the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) billion-dollar Twenty20 tournament.
“Gilchrist could well be playing in the IPL this year, Cricket Australia has indicated there would be no problems with it,” Atkinson was quoted as saying by The Age.
Participating cricket nations were worried that some of their top stars could quit national duties prematurely lured by the big money offered by IPL franchises. So the BCCI agreed that players must be retired for two years before they can join a team.
The Age said the BCCI would very much want Gilchrist to play in the inaugural season, given his reputation. If he plays, he might act as a precedent for other stars although Atkinson said that wouldn’t be the case.
“That two-year limit is really designed for young players, so it stops a player like Michael Clarke retiring and then signing a 10-year deal with the IPL,” he said.
Gilchrist is in demand, even in the twilight of his playing career, with CA preparing to secure his services in a coaching or promotional capacity.
CA chief executive James Sutherland told Gilchrist nearly 12 months ago, when the player announced his retirement, that he should talk about his future with the organisation.
Sutherland hopes to meet Gilchrist soon to determine the avenues he wishes to explore.
Atkinson said Gilchrist would have time to work with CA and also play in the IPL. “They play cricket for 10 months of the year, so when he retires, he’ll have 10 months up his sleeve. He will have the time.
“We will have to sit down with CA and discuss what roles are available, Adam is very keen to get involved. I think CA will look to have him participate in ambassadorship of the game,” he said.
Gilchrist, who will retire after the end of the ongoing triangular series involving India and Sri Lanka, is also keen to nourish young wicketkeepers in the country, Atkinson said.