According to reports, a number of English cricket players, including some international stars, are thinking about forgoing their national commitments in order to sign full-time contracts with Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises.
According to sources cited by The Times, at least six English players have been approached by IPL franchise owners asking if they would be open to an agreement that would make an Indian team their primary job rather than the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) or an English county.
Reports state that the amounts under discussion total around £5 million, or roughly Rs. 51 crore.
A lot of talk has recently been made about Saudi Arabia’s plans to start the “richest T20 league” in the world, which may be of interest to IPL franchises as well.
Initial discussions have begun, according to a report in The Times, “after at least six English players, including some international stars, were approached by IPL franchise owners and asked if, in principle, they would accept a deal that would make an Indian team their primary employer, instead of the ECB or an English county.”
“This development follows discussions among players’ unions around the world about the potential implications of 12-month franchise contracts, which would be a significant step towards the football model of elite players being primarily contracted to their team and released for international duty, rather than the other way around,” read the report further.
Although it is unclear whether IPL franchises have contacted English players, it is apparent that many team owners want to hire the best players for their T20 tournaments.
The Times claims that English players could receive contract offers as early as the end of 2023. The number of players who accept the offers is still to be determined, but it is certain that the chance to sign rich contracts with IPL franchises is alluring to many cricketers.
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