Stint in IPL will make England cricketers more competitive: Flintoff

London, Nov. 25 : All-rounder Andrew Flintoff believes that playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 competition will make all England players perform better in one-day cricket.

“India have developed new skills with bat and ball. We’ve been found wanting in this series. They have moved on their one-day game by playing a lot of Twenty20 cricket. The positions they get in to hit the ball and their scoring rate have changed,” The Sun quoted Flintoff as saying after his team lost the one-day series against India four games to nil.

“A few of us are keen on the IPL. The financial reward was mentioned but it will help our development. With the Twenty20 World Cup in England next year, it would be good if we got the chance to play,” he added.

The star all-rounder insists he wants to appear in the megabucks Twenty20 competition next April and May to improve his skills.

Flintoff, 30, says the money (he could earn 500,000 pounds), is a secondary consideration.

Flintoff’s views also crank up the pressure on the ECB to sort out whether, and for how long, England’s stars can play in the IPL. The current plan is to release them for two weeks in April. (ANI)

Regions: