Kevin Pietersen's recent comments about England players missing out on the IPL may have irritated a few England followers, and I can certainly see why.

As England captain, I pushed for central contracts and since they have been in place England players have been really well looked after by the ECB.

And with important times ahead for England, just a year away from the Ashes, people may have been annoyed by Pietersen's remarks.

Net interest: Pietersen takes a break from net practice

Let's make one thing clear though, I've seen Kevin Pietersen in practice and his commitment and willingness to put everything into his game is never in doubt for me. He will make sure for himself that he will be doing as much as possible to be right for a Test match.

I would never ever doubt that even if he did go off and play in the IPL - he would still be doing whatever possible to be right for a Test match.

But England have to make sure that Kevin Pietersen is right for a Test match and that's why central contracts were brought in.

England need to be able to turn to Pietersen, a player who was complaining a few months ago about being burnt out and tired, and make sure that he is given time off to rest - and that's what Peter Moores will do.

Balance

I'm more concerned for Moores and England and how they make sure players are given the right balance between rest and play.

Some of these players want it in all directions - to play international cricket, but also to be associated with their counties so they can have a massive benefit after 10 years, and now the IPL - but you can't have it all ways.

If you look at the injury crisis over the last two or three years there is a list of players: Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan, Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff to name a few and they've all been well looked after - and have been paid while injured.

That's what you get when you are under a central contract. The ECB have been very fair and generous with the England players and, as a player, I don't think you can have it all ways.

On the other hand, they can rightly turn round and say 'it's unfair, how come the New Zealand boys, the West Indies boys and other international cricketers are able to take part in the IPL?'

But you have to remember that other nations' cricketers aren't paid as well as England are. New Zealand players are not paid nearly as much as England's and they have to go off and find other ways of earning extra money.

I do have a lot of sympathy for the star players, like Pietersen in particular, when he sees lesser names in the game able to cash in on such big bonanzas from the IPL.

A lot of players will think 'crikey look what he's earning, and what's he done in the game, look what I have achieved and I'm not able to cash in?' But why have you been able to achieve in the game? Because England have looked after you, that's the bottom line.

England have looked after them when they are injured and when they are out of form - they have as much backroom staff to help them as any other team.

Decisions

In the end you have to be grown up and make a decision. The likes of Pietersen and Flintoff will have to sit down when their next contract is awarded and talk about what they want: do they want the money from the IPL or do they want to be under a central contract with England with all the luxuries that that brings them?

This might be more of an issue for county cricket. Are some players going to slog it out for six months for 60 grand when they can earn twice that amount for five weeks in India?

The players that aren't centrally contracted, like Dimitri Mascarenhas who will be the only England player in the IPL, may cause more of an issue for their county.

I know it must be really tempting for England players - if I was in that position looking over at some of the unknown names that are on vast sums of money it must be very tempting indeed.

I am slightly more in favour with the ECB but I do sympathise with the players also. The fans want England players to concentrate on being in perfect shape for that first Ashes Test next year and everything else will follow from that.

The ECB should review this situation, of course. I believe they should review it every month and constantly speak to their players - they have to look after their interests and make sure they are happy.

They should try and make sure that in the future the star names can go over to India and play in the IPL but it just might not be at the moment.

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