Thaindian News

Sydney, Mar. 2 (ANI): Former Australian batsman Damien Martyn has told Cricket Australia that it has no right to prevent uncontracted players from participating in the Indian Premier League.

“They should leave us to make our own decisions. It’s up to the individual whether they play in the IPL,” The Herald Sun quoted Martyn, as saying before leaving Sydney for India.

Martyn, who is returning to the game after a two-year absence, will be joined this week by former Australian teammates Shane Warne, Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist in India.

He will play with Warne’s Rajasthan Royals.

Hayden, who is a Cricket Australia board member, will have his own security officer during the tournament.

And it’s understood Australian Cricketers Association president Darren Lehmann has resisted CA pressure to abandon the tournament and will fulfil his coaching role with the Deccan Chargers.

Martyn said he was a free agent to do what he wanted.

“I have a child and a family to consider. Do you think I’d be going or for that matter, Warne, Gilchrist, and Hayden, if we thought it was high risk?” he said.

“The reports we’ve received suggest nothing has changed. I have the utmost faith in officials to ensure our safety and welfare is top priority. There are no guarantees. Bombs can go off anywhere and we’ve been on Ashes tours when bombs have exploded,” he added.

Martyn said Warne had assured him the team owners were doing everything they could to ensure player safety.

Extra security had been assigned to all IPL teams after threats from an al-Qa’ida affiliate.

Martyn, however, said he would take safety precautions during his six weeks’ stay in India.

“I will stick around the hotel and I won’t be heading to the markets like I may have done on past trips. My biggest concern as I packed my bags was leaving my child who I’ll miss terribly,” he said. (ANI)