Pietersen primed for Twenty20 showdown

Even though the IPL, who begin their first competition next week, are officially sanctioned, ECB chairman Giles Clarke will attempt to stop Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff and Monty Panesar, who have already been targeted, and England's other centrally-contracted players from making the fortunes on offer for something like six weeks' work a year.

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Pietersen, whom IPL organisers are desperate to recruit for next year's tournament on one of their biggest salaries, became the first leading English player to break ranks and publicly say what most of the others are thinking. 'As long as it doesn't interfere with me playing for England then I'm all for the IPL,' he said.

'I won't jeopardise my England career for the IPL just yet, but the schedules have to be sorted because the England players are the only ones missing out.

'There are guys in our team who could be earning a lot of money and you don't want them choosing between the two.'

That was enough for Clarke to threaten a World Series Cricket-type dispute. 'I cannot see any centrally-contracted England player being involved in next year's IPL,' said Clarke at the ECB's domestic season launch at Lord's on Monday.

'I don't think Peter Moores will release them. What would be said if a player was allowed to play in the IPL and then got injured and couldn't play in the Ashes?

'The reason central contracts were introduced was to enable the coach to decide how much cricket those players played. I haven't seen any request from anyone within Team England to change that structure. Funnily enough, when I became chairman some players were talking about burn-out and the need to play less. They don't seem to be thinking that way now.'

The conflicting views are sure to lead to a dispute next year, with Pietersen likely to test the ECB's resolve. England's tour of the Caribbean is scheduled to start earlier than usual, in January, allowing a perfect opportunity for an IPL window at the end of it in March before the 2009 English domestic season gets under way.

IPL organisers have intimated that they will work around England's schedules in an attempt to make their event accessible.

That will not, however, sway Clarke, who believes players would be taking a considerable risk to their places if they turned down a central contract. 'The reason the West Indies tour is earlier is so our players can have a break before the Ashes,' he said.

'We do not want them turning up exhausted to face Australia. Spectators will want our players to be as fit, fresh and ready for the Ashes as we can ensure they will be.

'It's not as if Kevin Pietersen doesn't receive significant rewards for the player he is. We're putting in place some pretty significant incentives for the England side to win the series and KP's not exactly doing badly as it is.'

Pietersen's Hampshire team-mate Dimi Mascarenhas, a non-contracted player, will become the first Englishman to play in the IPL when he joins Rajasthan Royals in May. He is certain he will not be the last.

'I've spoken to KP, he's expressed an interest in the IPL and they certainly want him,' said Mascarenhas. 'They are trying to accommodate English players next year by changing their dates so hopefully the ECB will loosen their stance. I think they will have to.'