Date:18/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/18/stories/2008041856532000.htm

Sport - Cricket

England ‘very likely’ to back Stanford Twenty20: Clarke

LONDON: England is “very likely” to compete in the Stanford Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Giles Clarke disclosed on Thursday.

Clarke’s announcement came after ECB talks with the Texan billionaire backing the series, Allen Stanford.

“We did see Sir Allen — a date has not been fixed for when anything will be played, or what format it will take this year or going forward into the future,” Clarke told BBC. “I think that match is very likely to take place. Sir Allen is doing a huge amount for cricket in the West Indies and we are keen to help things develop there.”

With no window in the current international schedule to allow England’s centrally contracted players to compete in the Indian Premier League, the ECB is eager to appease players who are keen to cash in on lucrative Twenty20 tournaments. The ECB-Stanford summit at Lord’s covered discussions on possible joint ventures which could include an offer from Stanford for an English Premier League and an England Twenty20 match in the Caribbean against an All Stars West Indies XI.

Clarke added: “Of course we are also keen to give our players the chance to make a significant amount of money and these types of games can be tremendously dramatic.

Clarke also admitted that the ECB was still formulating plans for an English Premier League.