IPL franchises wooing English players with lucrative deals, say reports

Owners of prominent IPL teams are attempting to persuade up to six of England's first class players to retire from international cricket and sign lucrative annual contracts worth up to £5 million in order to play in T20 tournaments all year long, according to media reports.
Nearly all of the 10 IPL franchises have expanded into other leagues, such as the CPL in the West Indies, SA T20 in South Africa, Global T20 League in the United Arab Emirates, and the upcoming Major League T20 in the United States. The report, however, omits information about the franchises that approached and the participants in the conversation.
There will also be an ambitious Saudi T20 league where some of the IPL franchises might be investing. The media quoted: “Initial discussions have taken place after at least six English players, including some international stars, were approached by IPL franchise owners and asked whether, in principle, they would accept a deal that would make an Indian team their main employer, rather than the ECB or an English county.”
“This development follows discussions among players’ unions around the world about the potential implications of 12-month franchise contracts, which would be a significant step towards the football model of elite players being primarily contracted to their team and released for international duty, rather than the other way around. Sources said that contract offers could come as soon as the end of the year.”