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Players not rebels: Adam Gilchrist
Adam Gilchrist says Australia's cricketers are not trying to be "rebels" and will heed the company line when it comes to playing in the IPL.
- Associated Press
- Updated: December 03, 2007 08:28 AM IST
Read Time:2 min
Hobart:
The test vice captain said Sunday he was one of about a dozen top-level players to receive a letter from Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland warning them against playing in next year's IPL Twenty20 tournament without Cricket Australia's consent.
Gilchrist denied he or any other player was trying to bend the rules of their CA contract by signing a memorandum of understanding with the IPL, and insisted any such tournament would always come second to playing international cricket.
The IPL is due to be played in April and May but Australia will be touring Pakistan and the West Indies during that period.
Gilchrist said he did not view the letter as being the start of a "standoff" between the players and CA, and dismissed fears Australian cricket was on the verge of the game's biggest split since Australian millionaire businessman Kerry Packer launched World Series Cricket 30 years ago.
"I think it's pretty dramatic to draw comparisons between the Twenty20 revolution and World Series Cricket all those years ago," said Gilchrist, who added he had already spoken to Sutherland about the matter a few weeks ago after receiving the letter.
"World Series Cricket was quite dramatic, and there was a lot of bad blood around at that time, from what I've learned, but it's far from that at the moment. No one will play (in the IPL) without consent.
"We're not trying to be rebels here. We're not looking for a moment to bend the rules or our contracts with Cricket Australia. They are our employer, as simple as that."
Wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist says Australia's cricketers are not trying to be "rebels" and will heed the company line when it comes to playing in the Indian Premier League.The test vice captain said Sunday he was one of about a dozen top-level players to receive a letter from Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland warning them against playing in next year's IPL Twenty20 tournament without Cricket Australia's consent.
Gilchrist denied he or any other player was trying to bend the rules of their CA contract by signing a memorandum of understanding with the IPL, and insisted any such tournament would always come second to playing international cricket.
The IPL is due to be played in April and May but Australia will be touring Pakistan and the West Indies during that period.
Gilchrist said he did not view the letter as being the start of a "standoff" between the players and CA, and dismissed fears Australian cricket was on the verge of the game's biggest split since Australian millionaire businessman Kerry Packer launched World Series Cricket 30 years ago.
"I think it's pretty dramatic to draw comparisons between the Twenty20 revolution and World Series Cricket all those years ago," said Gilchrist, who added he had already spoken to Sutherland about the matter a few weeks ago after receiving the letter.
"World Series Cricket was quite dramatic, and there was a lot of bad blood around at that time, from what I've learned, but it's far from that at the moment. No one will play (in the IPL) without consent.
"We're not trying to be rebels here. We're not looking for a moment to bend the rules or our contracts with Cricket Australia. They are our employer, as simple as that."
Topics mentioned in this article
Cricket Kings XI Punjab Adam Gilchrist
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