Prior cool on IPL

Sussex stumper not interested for time being

Last updated: 10th April 2008

Matt Prior England Dec 07

Prior: focused on domestic duties

In the future if agreements are made I don't see any reason why (English) players would not be interested in playing in the IPL.

Matt Prior
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Matt Prior acknowledges the lure of the Indian Premier League but insists that players will not jeopardise their international careers in order to cash in.

The Sussex wicketkeeper is hoping that the England and Wales Cricket Board can come to an agreement with their Indian counterparts to accomodate the franchise-based Twenty20 competition in the calendar.

The inaugural edition of the lucrative tournament begins on April 18 with none of the ECB's centrally contracted players - including potential drawcards such as Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen - able to take part.

Prior, who lost his England place following the pre-Christmas tour of Sri Lanka, believes it is a case of waiting to see how the situation develops.

"It's brand new, everyone is waiting to see how it goes," Prior told Sky Sports News.

"There are a lot of things that need to be cleared up first before players will risk not being able to represent their country and county.

"But in the future if agreements are made I don't see any reason why players would not be interested in playing in the IPL."

Prior's views were echoed by Sussex team-mate, and fellow England international, Luke Wright.

"If it (the IPL) was not going to impact on playing for your county - and the ECB and ICC allowed it - then everyone would want to play in it," said Wright.

"But, at the moment, it is not really something that I've thought about."