No English Players Expected in Ipl

Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi has said that he does not expect any English players to feature in the inaugural 20-over tournament next month.

Speculation had been mounting less than a week before a second player auction takes place that some English players were prepared to break ranks and make themselves available, with England one-day players Dimitri Mascerenhas and Luke Wright among those coveted by the franchises.

However, any player signing up would require the blessing from the county they are registered for and a No Objection Certificate from the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Asked if he anticipated any English presence in the six-week event, Modi said: "Not that I am aware of. I don't expect any. Nobody has told me about any such potential but I guess because we are dealing with franchises anything is possible. But even if someone hires a player they still require a NOC from the relevant board."

England batsman Kevin Pietersen has already turned down an offer to join the IPL, while all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, currently recovering from injury, is also rumored to have been approached. Nominated names for a second auction must be submitted to the IPL by Sunday ahead of another round of bidding two days later. Provision has also been made for a third auction prior to the competition beginning in a bid to ensure each of the eight city teams is as strong as possible.

Modi said last week that the league would not actively look to engage English players this year due to the season overlap and would perhaps accommodate them by synchronizing the event in future.

More than £20m was splashed on the world's best players in the first auction round and although the majority spent their allotted £2.5m salary cap, there are some who have played the longer game. Jaipur Royals, however, captained by Mascarenhas' Rose Bowl colleague Shane Warne, still have a sizable purse with which to bid at the secondary stage.

"We always had an aggressive plan. It's just that no one else saw it coming. We were clear that the minimum cap was for the whole process and not just for the primary auction," said Fraser Castellino, the CEO of the Royals.