But it seems that part of his logic for wanting to miss next summer’s two-Test series against New Zealand so he can play in all seven weeks of the IPL is that the New Zealanders themselves won’t be at full strength either (because, naturally, of the IPL). And, in the and wonderful world of Kevin, two wrongs add up to a right.
I think a lot of the critique coming from people about loyalty and greed is misguided. The ECB are playing a clever game here.... at the end of the day they are only protecting their investments in the international cricket. They know that the product they are selling to English fans at the normal premium is compromised because as we see here, they know that opposition star players are going to take a miss. They did this year, they will next year.
The ECB therefore are going to great lengths to ensure that star players are playing in all games, not because they want the runs they score, but because they want the tickets they sell.
Furthermore, the ECB are never going to do the sensible thing and open up a window for the players to go play without restriction simply because they are jealous. There is huge negativity about the IPL in England, mostly to do with the fact that (a) England is not as into ODI or T20 cricket as the sub continent and (b) I know it rocks the ECB to the core that they never thought of the idea of IPL before the BCCI, especially when the ECB had the chance and were the first to introduce professional T20, but never cashed in on it with the idea that the BCCI did.
So the ECB are basically going to bully players into playing a lower standard of cricket just to line their pockets, arguably in a similar way to the BCCI's total all out war against players who played the ICL.
I cant, therefore, really support the ECB's stance or the very successful PR battle they are creating here to take away the focus. If the ECB want to protect cricket they know what to do, because its the fans that lose out when they pay to see top international stars and they get B team players turning up to play.
And I am very sorry to say, but the IPL is too powerful to keep at bay for much longer. Its a growing league that is proving to be a success, revenue streams will fund mor money and maybe possible expansion of the competition in the future, and with it suck more players into ever rising financial benefits.. on the opposite, the ECB selling an inferior product will not generate more money to compensate the players at contract negotiation times.... this is the tip of the iceberg!
This is simply a battle of economics inside which KP is now the major pawn..... and if you tell me its only him, I would disagree, he is just the person who is outspoken enough to do it, and players like Morgan are a little less experienced to risk their international careers on making an issue of it.
The ECB need to think very clearly about where they go from here. They can plug their finger in the leaking hole, but its only a temporary measure. They have to find a compromise to allow England players to play IPL, and schedule their games accordingly, or risk enmass future mutiny from players who will simply forgo playing against an international B team, and go to the big lights instead!!
I mean people talk of money and greed, but can you honestly say as a sportstar you would not want to be part of the biggest cricket tournament in the world? To be part of the atmosphere and the occasion means as much to the top players as the money. Look at Lionel Messi's face after they got knocked out by Chelsea, in that moment you got the feeling he would have forfeited all his earnings to have won that game.... its not always about money, and KP has always been a big occasion man, he thrives in it.
