LONDON, Oct 25: The participation of English cricketers in the Indian Premier League (IPL) is doubtful because of a contract row that threatens the commercial success of the proposed English version of the Twenty20 league.

The Daily Telegraph reported on Saturday that the both the Indian and the England cricket boards are in dispute over a proposal from the English and the Wales Cricket Board (ECB) that they will release centrally contracted players for IPL only if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) releases Indian cricketers for the English Premier League due to start in 2010.

BCCI vice president and IPL commissioner Lalit Modi said that no English player will take part in the second edition of the tournament until and unless both the boards find a solution.

“We want English players to take part in the IPL but there is a big catch. That is the ECB has to launch the EPL and their quid pro quo is that if they release players, the BCCI must release their best 20 players for the EPL. This is yet to be approved by the governance board of the BCCI. If it is not, we will continue as we have done (without English players),” Modi was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph.

If both the boards fail to find a solution it will be a big blow to top English cricketers like Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, who are already in talks with IPL teams.—Agencies