Napier confirms IPL talks

Graham Napier, the Essex allrounder, has confirmed he is in talks to join the Indian Premier League (IPL) next year.

Napier made the headlines during the English summer with a breathtaking 152 off 58 balls in the Twenty20 Cup against Sussex, which prompted talk of him being handed an England call-up. That didn't happen, but he has become a very marketable property and he recently picked up a Twenty20 award in Delhi for the best strike-rate.

"Having had a little taste of the way India is promoting Twenty20 cricket, it is clear there is potential for a great opportunity to be provided to myself and other players to show our skills off on a grand stage," he told the Essex Chronicle.

"Essex has, and always will be, my first side but this is a chance that has arisen and will offer me a great opportunity to further my career," he added. "I'm still contracted to Essex and look forward to helping the club win more silverware next year."

With the IPL set to run during April and May, Napier would miss an early chunk of the county season if he signed a long-term deal with a franchise.

Only one England player, Dimitri Mascarenhas, has so far appeared in the IPL but it is expected that leading figures including Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff will take part for a period of the 2009 tournament.