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Twenty20 become the Professional Cricketer's Semi Retirement Plan

2008-02-06

Could Twenty20 become the Professional Cricketer's Semi Retirement Plan?

It's rumoured the cashed up IPL and ICL are offering contracts worth up to $1,000,000 to some of the world's finest. It's no wonder some of the biggest names in the game have signed on the dotted line. If the money wasn't incentive enough, knowing that a Twenty20 tournament lasts only a few weeks, makes the proposition even more alluring.

Both organizations have recruited heavily. The IPL especially. They claim to have a player pool of 78 with international experience. And they're paying handsomely for that experience, offering attractive sign-on fees

 AUSTRALIA. Shane Warne 400,000. Glenn McGrath 350,000. Justin Langer 175,000.

SRI LANKA. Farveez Maharoof 150,000. Kumar Sangakkara 250,000. Mahela Jaywardene 250,000. Muttiah Muralitharan 250,000. Sanath Jayasuriya 250,000. Nuwan Zoysa 100,000. Dilhara Fernando 150,000. Charminda Vaas 175,000. Lasith Malinga 200,000.

PAKISTAN. Mohammad Asif 225,000. Shahid Afridi 225,000. Shoaib Akhtar 225,000. Younus Khan 225,000. Mohammad Yousuf 330,000. Shoaib Malik 300,000.

WEST INDIES. Shivnarine Chanderpaul 175,000.

NEW ZEALAND. Daniel Vettori 225,000. Stephen Fleming 350,000. Jacob Oram 225,000. Scott Styris 175,000. Brendon McCallum 175,000.

SOUTH AFRICA. Loots Bosman 150,000. AB de Villiers 175,000. Albie Morkel 200,000. Graeme Smith 225,000. Herschelle Gibbs 225,000. Shaun Pollock 200,000. Ashwell Prince 150,000. Makhaya Ntini 175,000. Mark Boucher 175,000. Jacques Kallis 200,000.

This list represents less than half the IPL player roster.

Brian Lara's ICL contract has been touted at !,000,000. Shane Bond's contract is a three year deal worth 800,000. Other notable ICL recruits are Nathan Astle, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Chris Cairns, Lance Klusener, Chris Harris, Stuart Law, Ian Harvey, Abdul Razzaq and Craig McMillan. Gilchrist, now that he has retired, could very well be on either shopping list.

Cricket Australia, concerned about a conflict of interest, made its contracted players sign a memorandum of understanding, stating they wouldn't take part in tournaments that coincided with official tour commitments.

A professional cricketer spends a lot of time away from home, friends and family. After a decade living out of a suitcase, the media scrutiny and the constant pressures; a player decides it's time to retire. That's how it was. Now, though, there's another option. In the last thirteen months Nathan Astle, Chris Cairns, Craig McMillan, Brian Lara, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath have retired from international cricket. But their playing careers aren't over. For the next couple of years they'll fill their pockets and only have to work a couple of months a year. That sounds like semi retirement to me

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