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Future of Twenty20

ECB positive about Stanford match

Cricinfo staff

April 17, 2008

England are "very likely" to take up an offer from Allen Stanford to play a multi-million dollar Twenty20 match during the tour of West Indies next year according to Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman.

Clarke met with Stanford at Lord's on Tuesday to discuss possible joint ventures which could include Stanford having a role in any future English Premier League plus the match next year, which could be worth as much as $20million, against an All-stars West Indies XI.

"We did see Sir Allen - a date has not been fixed for when anything will be played, or what format it will take this year or going forward into the future," Clarke told BBC Radio Four's Today programme. "I think that match is very likely to take place. Sir Allen is doing a huge amount for cricket in the West Indies and we are keen to help things develop there."

With no window in the current international schedule to allow England's centrally contracted players to compete in the Indian Premier League (IPL) the ECB is eager to appease players who are keen to cash in on lucrative Twenty20 tournaments.

Clarke added: "Of course we are also keen to give our players the chance to make a significant amount of money and these types of games can be tremendously dramatic. We are extremely interested in his ideas but there is a long way to go.

"We need to confirm a lot of things with our friends in the West Indies. There is not a specific date at this moment of time and no specific structure at this time."

Clarke also admitted that the ECB are still formulating plans for an English Premier League. "I think what the IPL will achieve is remarkable given the time and speed with which it has been put together. We are spending a lot of time looking at creating a robust, sustainable and economically viable league that still protects our core revenues of Test cricket."

Stanford has previously tried to invite South Africa for a winner-takes-all match but it fell through after a clash with the West Indies board. Last year Stanford also offered to bring the World Twenty20 winners, India, to the Caribbean but the BCCI wasn't keen on taking part in an unofficial event.

© Cricinfo