England Fear Indian League Clash

David Collier, the England and Wales Cricket Board's chief executive, has insisted that the fledgling Indian Premier League must not clash with the game's tour schedule and has expressed doubts whether England's top players will be able to fit into the proposed set-up.

The competition starts on Friday week and Collier said: "There are issues of scheduling. The obvious time for the IPL to play is April and May, but that clashes with the start of our international season. We play New Zealand on May 15 in England; for our players to take part their schedule has to come forward a few weeks to fit into that calendar.

"We should also not forget that we go to the West Indies in the spring of next year. The IPL has said that the tours programs will take precedence, and clearly that will clash with us being in the West Indies. And for the IPL to play in October and November would be a problem because that clashes with the majority of global events, [such as] the ICC Champions Trophy, [which] are played during that period, so that time is unlikely. It is a question of finding periods of the year for this to take place.

"We are one of the few countries who play in June; that is why our competitions are so successful, because we can attract the best players in the world. That is why we believe that an English Premier League will be very successful, including a broad range of cricketers.

"Will the IPL be successful? For any new venture you must have a very robust operating plan and a very good structure. The big test for the IPL will be the operation of their tournament."

Collier believes the IPL will run at a loss initially. "Certainly, if you look over a five-to-10-year period, we can believe the claims that Indian cricket is worth a billion dollars. But there are 10 franchises, and every one has a turnover of about $8m (£4m). It is being said in India that those franchises will be making a loss for a number of years.

"That is not unusual - in the US, when franchises start they make losses for a number of years. But if you are investing in such numbers you expect a return in the not-too-distant future. That will happen in India but it will not be for a while." PA