 I was surprised when I was not approached for IPL: Kaneria
4th May 2008 19:00 IST
Agencies
Pakistani leg-spinner Danish Kaneria cannot hide his disappointment at not being part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) razzmatazz and he insists it's not only the lure of moolah but also the stature that makes it a blue ribbon event.
The 27-year old said in an interview that it was frustrating to watch other leg-spinners like Shane Warne, Anil Kumble and Piyush Chawla playing in the IPL, while he was cooling his heels in the sidelines.
"It is not about the money really. But one does want to be involved in such a high profile event. I was surprised when I was not approached for the event. Because spinners do have a big role to play in Twenty20 cricket," he said.
On the money factor, he said the IPL earnings for players were good but many of them already earned well the year round by playing for their countries and in other foreign leagues.
"English county cricket still remains a very fulfilling and rewarding experience financially for many of us."
Kaneria said even if he had got an offer from any team in the IPL he would have had to get clearance from his English county, Essex to play but that would not have been a problem.
"I have a long relationship with Essex and they have been very good to me. They have done a lot for me. I would have taken clearance from them," he said.
"I have been following the IPL closely and I can say this with confidence if ever I get a chance to play in this league I know I can be effective," he said.
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