Date:26/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/26/stories/2008112660291900.htm

Sport - Cricket

‘IPL has improved Indians’ skills’

Zaheer, Ishant are developing slower balls and yorkers
A few England players are keen to go to the IPL

LONDON: Andrew Flintoff has blamed England’s dismal show in the ODI series squarely on its non-participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“I think through playing the shorter form of the game, they (India) have developed new skills with both bat and ball, and we have been found wanting a little bit,” Flintoff said.

“Their game has developed through playing Twenty20 cricket, you just have to look at the way the guys hit the ball and the positions they get into. You also look at the bowling skills that Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma have.

“They are developing slower balls and yorkers.”

The England all-rounder also sought to clarify that the reason for his teammates’ keenness to play in the IPL was not just the big bucks. “A few of our players are keen to go to the IPL. The thing that most people write about when they mention the IPL is the financial rewards, but it should also be looked at as something that helps with a player’s development,” Flintoff told Independent.

However, the England players are yet to know whether they would get a chance to play in the second edition of the IPL due to the ongoing tussle between the ECB and the IPL organisers. — PTI