Indian Premier League and Cricket News by IPL Cricket Forum

IPL recently announced that the salary cap for players will be axed and that the game’s biggest stars could then expect staggering $14-15 million IPL contracts.

It would definitely create a free market, much like the soccer’s English Premier League, where franchises with unlimited buying power can spend much more on a player than the $1.65 million paid to M. S. Dhoni this year.

However, Ricky Ponting who played in IPL recently before going back to Australia insisted that the scrapping of the salary cap could ruin the tournament by allowing the mega-rich franchises to grab all the big boys.

“I have heard there may be no salary cap, but I’m not sure if that will be good for the IPL,” Ponting said to Herald Sun, Australia.

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This can come as a rude shock to all IPL fans.
Australian players could miss next year’s Indian Premier League campaign due to a fixture clash.

It was revealed on Monday by Cricket Australia that the recently cancelled tour to Pakistan has been rescheduled for next year.

Ricky Ponting’s side are due to play five one-day internationals and one Twenty20 match in April next year - and those centrally contracted to CA are expected to meet their obligation to play for their country.

That means those currently playing in the IPL may be forced to miss the Twenty20 competition because of international commitments.

“Playing (in Pakistan) probably inhibits players playing in the IPL (next year),” CA operations manager Michael Brown told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“Under their contracts players have to make themselves available to play for Australia and so far we have not had any problems.”

Window

With Australia’s top stars set to join England’s players in being unable to play in the 2009 competition, calls will grow for the creation of a slot in the cricket calendar for the IPL to be played.

However, with the future tours programme laid out by the International Cricket Council until the start of 2012, options are limited.

“We often talk about programming being played like chess in three dimensions,” Brown added. “At this stage we have a program that goes through until 2011-12.

“The difficulty (in creating a window for the IPL) is there would be so many groups that would want to be involved in such programs.

“The bread and butter of cricket is based around the future tours programme and we have to make sure that is protected.”
Hope a feasible solution comes around in time!