March 29, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 20, 1429

LONDON, March 28: Lalit Modi, the chairman of the controversial Indian Premier League (IPL), said on Thursday that a second version of the revolutionary, money-spinning Twenty20 tournament was still some way off.

“We may look at a second season years from now but I don’t see a second season in the next three or four years at least,” Modi said.

“We may look at a shorter window some time in September when we are free and there is no international cricket.

“We are looking at that but we have to keep in mind that we have the Champions Twenty20 (which features leading county and state sides from India, England, Australia and South Africa) around that time, so we have to carve out windows for everything.

“Our priority is to bring the Champions Twenty20 in next and then look at a second season for the IPL in the future.”

The first edition of the tournament, which many in the sport have predicted could lead to the destruction of the traditional game, runs from April 18 to June 1 at venues throughout India.

Modi also admitted that any future seasons of the IPL could be moved forward in a bid to secure more England players.

Presently, Dimitri Mascarenhas, the Hampshire all-rounder who has played One-day Internationals and Twenty20 cricket, is the only England player signed up for the first edition which clashes with the opening months of the English county season.

The likes of Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen have been spoken of as IPL targets and Modi, without naming names, told BBC Radio Five Live: “I know a lot of them are interested but we don’t want to conflict with the English season.

“If that means we have to move our matches a few weeks in advance, we would be happy to do that to accommodate the English players. “We would like to see a lot of the English players in the IPL but I cannot commit to them until the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) actually finds a window and clears them.”

Meanwhile, ECB chairman Giles Clarke made it clear there would be no changes to the English season because of the IPL.—Agencies