Symonds plans to shun CA for IPL may not be that easy

If attempts to resolve the issues with the Australian teams hierarchy fail, Andrew Symonds could be blocked from playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) by Cricket Australia.

Sydney, Sept 3 : If attempts to resolve the issues with the Australian team's hierarchy fail, Andrew Symonds could be blocked from playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) by Cricket Australia.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, if mediation process deteriorates and Symonds threatens to retire, then CA would need to look at the two-year clause, according to which a cricket board can ask IPL not to allow its player to participate in the tournament beforte two years of retirement.

Over the past few days, reports have suggested that Symonds could walk away from the Australian team to earn a few quick bucks by playing in the six-week IPL tournament, where he is the highest-paid foreign player, on a contract worth 1.47 million dollars a year.

Symonds has been indecisive about his future plans, especially he was left high and dry by his team mates following his racist spat with Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh. He had been considering quitting international cricket.

But, different national cricket boards secured a clause during initial negotiations with the IPL organisers that that to prevent premature retirement by players chasing the big money, they be allowed to block their players from playing in the tournament for two years after they retire -.

It may not come to that, even as Symonds has indicated that he wanted to return to the Australian team. However, this scenario is exactly why the stipulation was included in the contracts, reported the paper.

Meanwhile, in a further twist to any plan Symonds may have had to walk away, IPL boss Lalit Modi has advised him to keep playing international cricket because he is not interested in retired talent. Modi is well aware that public interest lies largely with current players. "I would advise him to stay on with his country. It's very important to be playing for your country," the paper quoted Modi as saying.

He added: "We need players who are playing international cricket. We don't need a whole bunch of retired cricketers in the tournament. Cricket Australia has the right to refuse that he plays in the IPL for two years after retirement."

CA's general manager of operations Michael Brown said the prospect of blocking Symonds "has not been contemplated". But, Symonds is angry at the punishment imposed by the team's leadership group - to send him home from Darwin after missing a meeting - and it will take time to mend some relationships, added the paper.

ANI