IPL auction: English cricketers to be most sought after

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The English cricketers' dominating performance against India is going to raise their profiles in the next seasons' Indian Premier League (IPL) auction with at least five expected to be in line for million-dollar deals.

Kevin Pietersen, Graeme Swann, Eoin Morgan, James Anderson and Stuart Broad are primary targets following England's success this year, where they wrestled back the Ashes trophy on Australian soil for the first time in 24 years and later blanked India in the Test series at home to become the No.1 side.

New Indian Premier League (IPL) chief Rajeev Shukla told the Sunday Mirror that England's cricketers will indeed be the hottest properties when the auction for the 2012 tournament takes place in December.

"I'll try my level best to get them. There is no doubt the England team are doing very well. They have improved a lot, and possess a number of outstanding players. Of course, we would like that talent to be in the IPL," Shukla said.

The Twenty20 league's fifth season runs from April 4 to May 27, 2012. The final stages of the tournament will clash with the start of England's home international summer with the first Test against West Indies beginning May 17.

"The main thing for franchises is the availability of these players. If they are available, up to what time are they available? This is the issue that will need to be sorted out," Shukla said.

"The fixture list is always a problem when it comes to signing the best players from England - we will have to see how we can deal with that."

Swann, who heads the bowling rankings in one-day internationals, and Anderson - the world's leading wicket-taker in Test cricket over the past 18 months - were among those unsold after setting base prices of $400,000.

Neither 32-year-old Swann, nor Anderson, 29, have featured in the IPL to date, but both have expressed a desire to do so.

England chief coach Andy Flower has admitted he didn't know if an English exodus to the tournament was 'stoppable' given the riches on offer.

A $1m player would earn more than 400,000 pounds for four weeks' work on a pro rata basis, outstripping what they pick up annually through a central contract.