Pietersen is currently one of the highest paid players in the IPL
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has announced that the Indian Premier League (IPL) will gradually start to attract more England players in the future.
Dhoni, who is also the skipper of the Chennai Super Kings franchise, currently believes that the availability of England players is the main barrier stopping them from playing in the star-studded tournament and not the lack of talent as many other people claim.
While many of the England players’ performances during the four-Test series may have put them on the radar of numerous IPL franchises, Dhoni stated that the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) limited window for IPL participation could in fact deter a lot of the teams from bidding on English players.
IPL commissioner Rajiv Shukla believes that England captain Alastair Cook and left-arm spinner Monty Panesar could be two of the highest paid players if they decide to enter the auction for this year’s edition of the tournament.
However, with England’s international priorities taking precedence over the IPL, Dhoni noted that only “special” players like Kevin Pietersen will get a lot of interest from a majority of the franchises.
“Most of the time when the IPL happens, I don’t think the English team has a clear period – so they’re not available for the full 45 to 50 days of cricket,” Dhoni said. “That’s a big concern when it comes to some of the IPL franchises.
“The English team have fantastic talent, players who can have a big impact in the shorter format. If most of them were available for the full 45 or 50 days, I could see England players coming to the IPL.”
The 2013 edition of the IPL is set to begin on April 3, which is just a week after England wrap up their tour of New Zealand, and is scheduled to end on May 26.
However, England’s home series against New Zealand begins on May 16 and this could be a potential point, where any England player participating in the IPL, would have to pack their bags and head home.
While Pietersen and Eoin Morgan are the only two centrally contracted England players with an IPL contract, Dhoni admitted that he was unsure whether more of their team-mates would be joining them this year.
“Kevin Pietersen is a really different batsman,” Dhoni said. “If he’s available for half a season, the sides can still gamble that he can play seven or eight games at least. He’s a special player. But you have to be that special.”
Off-spinner Graeme Swann, pace bowler James Anderson and wicketkeeper batsman Matt Prior entered themselves into the 2012 IPL auction, but failed to get any bids.
Fast bowler Stuart Broad was signed by the Kings XI Punjab in 2011, but was released last year after missing consecutive seasons of the tournament due to injury.
However, Luke Wright, who is not a centrally contracted player, but still a member of England’s Twenty20 side, will represent the Pune Warriors in this year’s edition.
While Cook may not even be in England’s Twenty20 plans, Shukla believes that his Test performance during the four-Test series will attract a lot more bids if he were to join the auction.
“I think so, I think it might well do that,” Shukla told The Times. “England have done very well and the franchises are most definitely aware of what has been happening in this series. The English domestic schedule can make it difficult for players to play for long here, and franchises will look at that, but these Test matches have definitely raised expectations of the players from television viewers. I am sure Indian people would love to see them again.
“Cook might be one. Test and Twenty20 cricket are different but Indian people know about him now as he made a very good impression. Monty Panesar could definitely be another, he is very popular over here already, and there are probably some others.”