Moeen in frame for IPL auction

Moeen Ali is the latest member of the England squad to confirm that he will appear in the 2016 IPL auction.

Moeen, a member of the England team in all three formats, will only be available for the first four weeks of the tournament - a factor that could limit his appeal to team owners - but is understood to have received interest from Mumbai Indians among others.

England players have, in previous years, been encouraged to play county cricket instead of participating in the IPL. But Andrew Strauss, the England team director, recognises that players can benefit from the experience of appearing in high-profile T20 tournaments and believes it will improve England's white-ball form.

Jos Buttler, who scored an England ODI record 46-ball hundred against Pakistan in Dubai last year, is being courted by Kolkata Knight Riders, while Adil Rashid, who featured in the Test series against Pakistan in the UAE in October and November, is currently the leading wicket-taker in the Big Bash League, having been encouraged to link up with his Yorkshire coach, Jason Gillespie, at Adelaide Strikers.

If Moeen is picked up in the auction, it will mean he is unavailable for Worcestershire for almost the entire season. The 2016 IPL season starts on April 9 and ends on May 29, with players expected to report - subject to international duty - a week before the start.

Players on Test duty by England will be required to return to the UK by noon on May 6, with most non-Test players required to return by noon on May 17 to ensure their availability in the opening round of T20 Blast matches on May 20.

While the ECB, who are currently involved in a budget review which has required several employees to reapply for their jobs, no longer operate a system by which they return to players the portion of their salaries forfeited for their release from county or central contracts - as they did up to the 2015 IPL season - it is understood they are considering topping up payments should a low reserve price result in England players making a net loss on their involvement. In previous years, players have priced themselves out of the market by demanding a higher reserve price to ensure they did not lose out financially.