Aussies divided over IPL participation

Tension over Indian Premier League participation between Warne, Gilly, Hayden on one hand and Ponting on the other

Tension over Indian Premier League participation between Warne, Gilly, Hayden on one hand and Ponting on the other

Tension over participation in the IPL between former Test players Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden, on the one hand, and Ricky Ponting, on the other, erupted at a security briefing of the 22 Australian players at a Sydney Hotel yesterday.

Tricky situation! Australia skipper Ricky Ponting

Meanwhile, IPL head honcho Lalit Modi asserted that all's well in his kingdom, saying: "I spoke to a couple of the Australian boys yesterday. I think they will all take part. The tournament will go on".

Concern
At the same time, current Australian players have expressed concern that state governments in India have not yet committed to provide police numbers in nine states u00e2u0080u0093 Maharashtra, Orissa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, Punjab and Rajasthanu00a0-- that will host 60 games in 12 cities in this year's third edition of the IPL between March 12 and April 25.

Some of the current Australian players in all three versions of the game are said to be almost certain to boycott next month's IPL unless the organisation significantly improves its security to deal with the threat of the 313 Brigade of the al-Qaeda.

However, unanimity is said to be lacking in the present Australian team,u00a0 with many of the current crop finding it difficult to resist the lucrative contracts that only the IPL can afford to make in world cricket today.

Ultimately, each individual player may have to shoulder the burden of deciding for himself.

On the other hand, players such as Lee, Warne, Gilchrist, Hayden, Dirk Nannes and Brad Hodge risk losing millions of dollars if they boycott the tournament and thereby incur the wrath of the IPL management, which has a track record of not brooking what it considers disloyalty.

Meanwhile, former Australian Test fast bowler Geoff Lawson has ignored terror threats and will fly to Pune tomorrow on a coaching assignment for the European Cricket Council.