Door open for KP and Freddie to play in IPL

England boss Peter Moores is ready to let most of his players appear in next year's Indian Premier League if they are offered contracts.

Head coach Moores will be the man who ultimately decides whether captain Kevin Pietersen and star all-rounder Andrew Flintoff are allowed to cash-in next April when the tournament kicks off again.

Hampshire's Dimitri Mascarenhas was the only England player to take part in the first IPL earlier this year but more are expected to be approached for the second edition.

"I expect with the way our schedule fits that a lot of the players, if they are offered contracts, will be able to go for a short period of time and enjoy the cricket," Moores said today.

England's approach to the IPL has softened over recent months and the threat of a possible conflict between players and management now seems far less likely. Part of England's thinking is that playing in the tournament will help Pietersen and his team-mates to prepare for next summer's Twenty20 World Cup in this country.

Moores stressed, though, that the IPL 'window' available to England's players "will not be very big".

With England in the Caribbean until early April they are likely to be limited to a fortnight at most. And Moores suggested that will not change even if Sri Lanka's tour of England is cancelled because other opponents will be found.

Moores also rejected suggestions that England will be playing for money rather than pride in the forthcoming Stanford series in Antigua. He said: "You can't get away from the fact there's a lot of money involved but the lads will be playing for the badge like they always do."