Money is the object for some - MacGill

Stuart MacGill says it is not surprising that nearly half of Australia's national and state players would consider early retirement to play in high-paying Twenty20 leagues. MacGill said money was clearly the only motivating factor for some cricketers, however he hoped young players still making their way in the game would not be lured away from their dreams of international glory.

"Some of these players are only playing for money now," MacGill told the Sydney Morning Herald. "I don't think it's a problem - provided the guy does his job I don't care what the motivation is. I am not in that position at this stage. There are still goals I have in domestic and international cricket.

"But if you're just turning up to work for a pay cheque you'd obviously consider a better offer. People have many different motivations. For some it's ego, some it's for appearances, some it's for cash, for some it's to be a pain in the arse and for some it's to get out of the house."

An Australian Cricketers' Association survey showed 47% of Cricket Australia-contracted players and 49% of those with state deals would think about departing from the international scene early to take up an appointment in the Indian Premier League (IPL) or the Indian Cricket League (ICL). However, MacGill said it was vital that young players were not tempted by the big dollars.

"I would be very, very disappointed, and warn against, young players considering it," he said. "It's elite company playing for your state, let alone Australia. To jeopardise that by taking a quick hit would be an enormous mistake."

Andrew Hilditch, Australia's chairman of selectors, said it was hard to imagine anybody turning down the chance to play for their country simply to earn some quick cash in a Twenty20 league. "I'd be very surprised if someone who is knocking on the door of Australian selection would take that stance," Hilditch told AAP.

"There is a lot of money in the game both for Australian contracted players, and obviously there is a lot of money around the world at the moment. But the reality is I don't think many of them play for the money - they still play to play for the country."

However, Tim May, the chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations, said the survey only highlighted the need for the ICC to include a special slot for the IPL in the Future Tours Programme. "If you look at it logically, the Australians are probably one of the better paid [teams]," May said in the Herald Sun.

"There isn't a great differential to what they [Cricket Australia] are doing and the IPL. It's far different for players from New Zealand, Zimbabwe, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka. Cricket needs to go down a path to ... create a window for the IPL. That will act as a reasonable safeguard from early retirements, but it won't stop all."