Sydney, Dec 26 (IANS) Cricket Australia (CA) is coming up with a plan to discourage talented youngsters from joining the Indian Premier League (IPL) by increasing the value of contracts for the players.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that CA’s plan was hatched before a recent Australian Cricketers’ Association poll of contracted players suggested 22 percent would be prepared to turn down a CA deal to follow English superstar Andrew Flintoff in a freelance Twenty20 career.

Exciting New South Wales rookie Steve Smith is certain to command attention from IPL franchises after his role in the Blues’ Champions League victory. Other youngsters like Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Marsh, Josh Hazlewood and Usman Khawaja will also represent good value for IPL franchises who are these days less inclined to spend on big names.

But each signing reduces CA’s “ownership” of its stars. At the start IPL stated that it had no intention of interfering with the “sovereignty” of International Cricket Council (ICC) member nations, but after threats from IPL supremo Lalit Modi it seems that cracks have started to appear.

Modi said the organisation respected each player’s international commitments, it does not respect domestic duties. Modi had threatened that Aussie players on IPL contract would be scrapped if they don’t skip the final round and final of the Sheffield Shield. He has also warned those states who fail to comply will be banned from the Champions League. The stand-off has come about because the IPL starts in late March, this in turn due to the ICC’S T20 World Championships.