LONDON: Owners of top IPL franchises are trying to convince six of England’s premier players to give up lucrative annual contracts of up to 5 million pounds to quit international cricket and play in the T20 league for the entire year, according to a report in The Times of London. . However, the report did not reveal which franchise was contacted and who are the players involved in the discussions. An ambitious Saudi T20 league, which has several IPL franchise investments, is also involved.
- IPL franchises reportedly offered multi-million pound deals to 6 English players
- English cricketers offered by IPL franchises to give up international cricket and play league cricket for their team for a whole year
A report in The Times cites that at least six English players, including some international stars, have been approached by the owners of the IPL franchises to ask whether, in principle, they would accept a deal in which they could replace the ECB or English clubs with the Indian team as their main employer. .
The development follows discussions among players’ unions around the world about the potential implications of a 12-month franchise agreement, which would be a significant step towards a football model of elite players being primarily contracted to their team and released for international duty.