Thetownend.com

Next summer the ECB have announced that they want to cram a series with Sri Lanka

into the already congested calendar.First test would start on May 8th.This would conflict

with the IPL as 13 Sri Lankans are contracted to play.Sri Lanka would probably have to

play a B team in the first couple of tests! Rumours abound that England test players still

want to join the IPL.


England would finish the Windies tour in march,play Sri Lanka in early may and june and then

face a 5 test series with the old enemy Australia for the Ashes.Hardly time to rest and then

take on the Aussies.Looks like greed,greed,greed from our administrators at the ECB.

England have always played a two Test series before Australia (in recent times anyway)

It was the Banglas in 2005

It has been a 7 Test summer for a number of years now, and of course the ECB want/need the money

Juse seeing on the news that they are planning a new 20/20 Tournament for England to rival the IPL. Interesting this.

thats been doing the rounds for a while hasnt it?

Maybe but i haven't really been following cricket the past 12 months like i used to.

Boeta,

You're quite right that we regularly play 2 tests before an Ashes series,but the dynamics

of the IPL have changed things.With 13 Sri Lankans contracted to play in the IPL, would

anybody pay serious money to watch a test series against a Sri Lankan B team? There

has also been talk of having a window, so that some england players could play in the IPL.

Trouble is that both players and ECB want to have their cake at the moment.

I'm fairly sure the Test series v Sri Lanka predated the IPL creation. The schedules are pretty much known 4 or 5 years in advance. I suppose at least we won't have to put up with crooked-armed 'spinners'.

If they send a "b" team, I hope they don't expect to get a Lords Test - give Durham or Hampshire a go instead.

I think the Sri Lankans have stepped into the hole left by Zimbabwe not touring.Bit of a strange one really seeing as the Sri Lankan board must have known most of their best players had three year contracts with IPL teams.

As for the IPL does anyone even know who won it this year?Frankly i had zero interest in it[sure some of you did :)].Just wish the England players would stop obsessing over it and get on and play good cricket for England.Seems barely a day goes by without there being some news story about the England team leaving en masse.

Larwood,

Rajasthan with Warnie were the Champs.

You are correct Larwood.  We played Bangladesh before the Aussies four years ago, the Zimbabweans were meant to be cannon fodder before the mighty Aussies visited again.  So they persuaded Sri Lanka to take over from the Zims.  I don't think we argued too much when we knew it would clash with the IPL and Sri Lanka would be weak, as somebody else said it is all about financial greed.

Fair enough, I stand corrected.