English cricketer Dimitri Mascarenhas will be selected for the national squad, paving the way for other stars to sign for the Indian Premier League.
London, May 29 : English cricketer Dimitri Mascarenhas will be selected for the national squad, paving the way for other stars to sign for the Indian Premier League.
Hampshire's captain is to be included in a 14-man squad for the five one-day internationals and Twenty20 match against New Zealand starting on June 13.
His selection shows that being the only England player to appear in this year's megabucks IPL will not be held against him.
And it means that several other England stars, such as Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff and Paul Collingwood, will be able to play in next year's tournament without fear of a backlash from the selectors, The Sun reported.
England's tour of the West Indies finishes on April 4, so there is a window for other English players to appear in the 2009 IPL, which starts from April 10.
They could remain for two or three weeks before returning home to prepare for next summer's First Test against Zimbabwe on May 7.
Mascarenhas made just one appearance for Rajasthan Royals, who have been the sensational surprise package of the IPL and are captained by Shane Warne.
ANI