Sport News

Bopara turns down big IPL offer

category: Cricket

06.05.2008 14:52

England all-rounder Ravi Bopara has rejected a lucrative offer to play in the Indian Premier League in a bid to cement his place in the national side.

The 23-year-old Essex player says he was offered a substantial six-figure contract from an unnamed side.

"It is tempting, but my goal is to play regularly for England," he said.

"I am confident that if I continue to score runs and take wickets for Essex I will hopefully play for England this summer and for many years to come."

Bopara, who has scored 341 runs in three LV County Championship innings and also tops the team's bowling averages, added that he may not miss out financially if he achieves his goals.

"If I do this, and with the current talk of new competitions and one off matches to sit alongside the IPL, then I am sure there will be plenty of opportunities to enjoy the financial benefits in years to come," he said.

Bopara made his Test in Sri Lanka during the winter before being discarded for the New Zealand leg of the tour after three Tests.

He is already seen as a key part of the one-day set-up and his decision to snub the IPL is sure to go down well with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Hampshire skipper Dimitri Mascarenhas is currently England's only representative in the big-money Twenty20 competition, but established stars like Kevin Pietersen and Ryan Sidebottom have declared their interest in participating in the future.

Bopara is not centrally contracted to the ECB and would be free to pursue a contract with one of the eight IPL franchises if an agreement was reached with his county.

Original text is here

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