Mascarenhas signs with Indian Premier League

Dimitri Mascarenhas: off to India...

England and Hampshire allrounder Dimitri Mascarenhas has signed for the Indian Premier League's Jaipur franchise.

Mascarenhas becomes the first English player to agree a contract with the IPL, and the move comes with the blessing of Hampshire. "We reached agreement at 2am today," Rod Bransgrove, the county's chairman, told Cricinfo. "The deal is that he will have limited exposure to the IPL this season and will be a Hampshire player for the next two seasons. It takes into account the realities of the situation."

Fraser Castellino, the CEO of the Jaipur franchise, told Cricinfo the discussions had begun a few days ago, with the IPL kept in the loop. "He will be available with us 100% for the first season," he said.

However, that claim appears to go against a media release issued by Hampshire a few hours later in which they said that Mascarenhas would play in the IPL between May 12 and 26 this year and then all of 2009 and 2010. In return, he had signed a two-year extension to his contract and it was been agreed that in the event of a clash in any future Champions League, Hampshire would have priority. They concluded by stating he would will miss five Friends Provident games and one Championship match this May.

Hampshire, who will be compensated for the time he is away, will issue Mascarenhas with a No Objection Certificate, freeing him to play in India. As he is not centrally contracted to the national team, the ECB will not need to give its approval.