Mascarenhas Becomes Indian League's First Englishman

Dimitri Mascarenhas, the Hampshire all-rounder, yesterday became the first English player to join the Indian Premier League when Jaipur's Rajasthan Royals bought him for $100,000 (£50,000) during the second round of bidding in Mumbai.

The deal, agreed just hours before the auction following negotiations between Hampshire, Jaipur and the England and Wales Cricket Board, was possible only because Mascarenhas, who hit four successive sixes during a Twenty20 game for England last month, does not have a central contract. The ECB confirmed yesterday that international selection would take priority over the IPL, but his signature will be seen in some quarters as a catalyst for other non-contracted English players to follow suit. The IPL insists no new players can join before 2011, but the league's rules in other areas have proved flexible.

Yesterday, though, Hampshire stressed the conditional nature of the agreement. Mascarenhas will represent Jaipur for only two weeks out of six this year, before fulfilling the entirety of his IPL contract in 2009 and 2010, and will play for the county should both sides qualify for the Twenty20 Champions Trophy in Delhi this autumn.

Hampshire, who have already lost Shane Warne to Jaipur until June and risk being without the New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond because of his involvement with the rebel Indian Cricket League, will also be compensated for Mascarenhas' absence from a County Championship match and five Friends Provident Trophy games. They have persuaded the 30-year-old to extend his current deal by another two years. "[His participation] will be limited to times when it is convenient for us and we have secured the services of a very influential player," said Hampshire's chairman, Rod Bransgrove. "I hope the members will see this as a good compromise."

The highlight of yesterday's auction, in which the franchises sought to use up their $5m kitty, was the signature of the Australian all-rounder James Hopes by Mohali for $300,000. The South African batsman Ashwell Prince, ignored in the more glamorous first round in February, cost Mumbai $175,000, but Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf was overlooked again.

The Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper Chris Read says he has not ruled out legal action against the ECB if they refuse to pick him for England because of his ICL contract. "That would be the natural course to take," he told the Wisden Cricketer. "I signed my ICL contract in good faith before the ECB had an official policy."

The Australian board yesterday postponed their side's tour of Pakistan, scheduled to start this month, because of security concerns. The tour will not take place until next year at the earliest.

Full IPL squads