News that England's top cricketers may well be allowed to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket franchise has pushed the IPL back into the headlines. The massive amount of money available to players chosen to represent the array of IPL teams in India has caught the attention of every cricketing nation in the world. There were concerns that England would be the only country not represented within the IPL although many are against the whole idea of the franchise and the fact that many cricketers have turned their back on local and county cricket for the big money in India.
However, what this will do is substantially increase gambling interest in the IPL with more and more big names from the world of cricket set to cement their place over the coming weeks. There have been significant rumours and counter rumours regarding English players and the likelihood they will appear in the IPL but until now there has been no official confirmation from players unions or the ECB.
There is a concern that the IPL may well hamper preparations for England cricket tests later in the year although England captain Andrew Strauss believes the players are old enough to look after themselves. Placing the future of UK cricket in the hands of those looking towards the IPL could have serious implications in the future.
