Bopara Snubs Ipl Offer and Targets England Recall

Ravi Bopara has become the latest English player to reject an offer to play in the Indian Premier League. Bopara, who does not have an England contract but did appear in all three of England's Test matches in Sri Lanka last winter, turned down a lucrative offer from an unknown Indian Premier League side because he wanted to concentrate on securing his future in the England team.

Bopara's fellow England fringe player Dimitri Mascarenhas is England's only representative in the IPL. Mascarenhas, who was appointed captain of his county side Hampshire at the beginning of the season, joined the Rajasthan Royals for eight days now but hasn't appeared in either of their two matches since. Mark Ramprakash is known to have rejected an approach to play in the IPL in favour of continuing in county cricket.

Bopara, who is understood to have rejected a "substantial six-figure contract", commented: "Of course when figures like these are put in front of you it is tempting, but my goal is to play regularly for England so I am confident that if I continue to score runs and take wickets for Essex then I will hopefully play for England this summer and for many years to come. If I do this, and with the current talk of new competitions and one off matches to sit alongside the IPL, then I am sure there will be plenty of opportunities to enjoy the financial benefits in years to come."

Bopara, 23, is already seen as a key part of the one-day set-up and his decision to remain in England will please the ECB. He has enjoyed an outstanding start to his season with Essex, scoring 341 runs in his three county championship innings and taking six wickets at just 18 runs each in the same competition. His form has thrust him back into contention for an England place after his disappointing performances during England's tour to Sri Lanka. He is believed to be in contention with Kent's Rob Key and Middlesex's Owais Shah for a place as first reserve in England's Test match top six. All three men have been included in the England Lions team that will play New Zealand in their final warm-up game before the first Test.