Daniel Vettori: "I think everybody would like to see some space for the IPL in the FTP. If it is feasible, then it will be great and easy on the players"...
Haroon Lorgat, who is set to take over from Malcolm Speed as the ICC chief executive, is open to the idea of revising the Future Tours Programme (FTP) in order to make space for the IPL.
"The game is growing and the world is changing," Lorgat told the Sydney Morning Herald. "With the successful introduction of Twenty20 to the calendar, there is more cricket to be played, and as a result the time could come where workloads have to be managed.
"The IPL is something that is exciting and can be used to enhance and grow the game around the globe. Cricket is unique in that we have three formats now, and that can be used to attract new fans. If we need to revisit the FTP, we will do that."
The inaugural edition of the IPL will overlap with Australia's tour of West Indies and New Zealand's summer in England. "If well managed, I think all three forms of the game are sustainable, Lorgat said. "It's just about finding the right balance." Earlier in an interview with Cricinfo, Lorgat had said IPL deserved strong support at the highest level.
Meanwhile New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori said though it was unlikely that players would retire to play in the IPL it was difficult to refuse when big offers came one's way. "I think everybody would like to see some space for the IPL in the FTP," Vettori told the Hindustan Times. "If it is feasible, then it will be great and easy on the players."
But according to a survey by the Australian Cricketers Association, 47% of Cricket Australia -contracted players and 49% of players with state contracts polled said they would consider early retirement to play in an Indian Twenty20 league.
ICC on IPL
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