London, Jan 24 (ANI): The global economic downturn and the bitter experience of franchises that signed star players only for the initial part of the inaugural IPL season is not going to generate much interest for English players this year.
The England and Wales Cricket Board sanctioned a three-week Indian Premier League window, prompting optimistic noises from IPL chairman Lalit Modi, and several English players, but it appears it is unlikely to result in a stampede for their services.
The month-long transfer window closed last night with little trading done, and all attention now turns to February 6, player auction, The Guardian reported.
A preliminary list of those under the hammer is due to be released today, and is unlikely to contain more than half-a-dozen Englishmen.
Even Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, who have attracted interest from most of the eight franchises, are unlikely to inspire the sort of huge deals last season clinched by Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings: 1.5million dollars) and Andrew Symonds (Deccan Chargers: 1.375million dollars).
English players who are signed will miss the second half of the season, and forfeit approximately half their fee as a result. Pietersen and Flintoff will undoubtedly get contracts, unavailability for the business end of the season will seriously hamper the prospects of the Test fringe players.
For the moment, the one Englishman certain to play a part is Graham Napier, the 29-year-old Essex batsman, whose 16-six blitz (152 from 58 balls) against Sussex last June captured the imagination of Twenty20 aficionados worldwide.
Napier will go into a Mumbai squad that can already boast the big-hitting prowess of Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar. (ANI)
null
|
|
Comments:
