Warne wants two-month freeze on ICC calendar for IPL by CricketArchive Sraff Reporter

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Player:

SK Warne

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DateLine: 21st January 2009

 

Spin legend Shane Warne said there should be an annual two-month freeze on international calendar so that cricketers can take part in the Indian Premier League without going through the country-or-club dilemma.

 

Effusive in his praise for IPL, Warne said the International Cricket Council and its member boards have to agree to a two-month gap in the calendar to ensure that the players are not forced to make a choice between the IPL franchises and their national team.

 

"I think for world cricket, I think (because of) the IPL for April and May, there should be no international cricket, and all the players around the world should be involved," said Warne, who led a bunch of no-hopers at the Rajasthan Royals to the ultimate glory in the inaugural edition of the Twenty20 extravaganza.

 

The retired Australian spin great cherished his IPL experience last year and said the never-before experience would rank higher than even the Ashes win dotting his career. "In 20 years of playing...I haven't experienced any like what I experienced in India last year. It was truly unbelievable," Warne said.

 

"The Ashes (in) '05 comes pretty close to the intensity of the crowd, and the passion and the news, but we were getting (more than) 110,000 at Eden Gardens, there was 25,000 outside the ground for the final, plus 90,000 in the stadium," Warne recalled.