ECB urge change to IPL schedule

Twenty20 tournament conflicts with English season

Eoin Morgan is involved in this year's IPL (GETTY IMAGES)

England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive David Collier claims “there is a willingness” from Indian Premier League organisers to make their schedule more compatible with the English season.

Opportunities in the big-money Twenty20 competition have been limited for England players, with little flexibility in central contracts and the IPL clashing with both the first home Test series of the summer and the start of the domestic campaign.

Professional Cricketers Association chief Angus Porter has long been a vocal presence on the issue and last month renewed calls for a change in scheduling, to both open up opportunities for English players and preserve the integrity of early-season Tests.

And Collier told today's Times: "We have had very fruitful talks with India. In an ideal world, we would like the IPL to be concluded by April 30, which is the cooler season for India.

"We have put that to them, they are doing their best, but they realise there are some limitations.

"It would make things a lot easier for us. We still have to get the workload balance right, but it would make it a lot easier for our players to be available for that period and certainly the BCCI are fully aware of that.

"There is a willingness on the part of both boards to see if we can make any progress."

Only four LV=County Championship players - Luke Wright, Eoin Morgan, Owais Shah and Dimitri Mascarenhas - are involved in this year's IPL which ends on May 26.

PA