It is too early to say what consequences the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) holds for English cricket. But it is becoming clear that this country’s leading players, and possibly clubs, stand to gain financially from counter-measures being considered by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Leading stars, already earning basic salaries of about £400,000 from England, topped up with endorsement deals, can expect their pay to rise through enhanced win bonuses and appearance fees from additional Twenty20 internationals that the board is poised to arrange. Such plans are expected to be presented to the England squad in New Zealand by Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, who arrived there yesterday.

England are permitted to play up to seven Twenty20s per year, but took part in only three in 2007 and are scheduled to play four in 2008. The American billionaire and philanthropist Allen Stanford, who runs a lucrative Twenty20 event in the Caribbean, has indicated that he would pay millions of dollars for England to play his all-star XI, an offer England may take up.

The ECB, while not overtly hostile to the Indian venture, realises that the IPL has the financial clout to destabilise the game here and that it must act to prevent an exodus. So far, English cricketers have not signed for the IPL because it clashes with their domestic season and they hold contracts with county or country. That may change if the IPL moves its season next year, as it promises to do.

The nightmare scenario for the English authorities is entrepreneurs attempting to set up an IPL-style Twenty20 tournament in the UK that might undermine the lucrative county Twenty20 Cup, which is held in high summer and attracts excellent crowds.

After a meeting of the ECB’s 12-man management board in London on Wednesday, attended by Clarke, a hardline statement was issued in which the 18 county clubs and leading grounds were warned not to attempt to host unofficial events.

Another idea being considered is relaxing the rules, only just tightened for the 2008 season, on the number of overseas players allowed in county cricket. The limit now is one per county, but from next year this could rise to four specifically for county Twenty20 matches, so that the tournament can ape the glamour and glitz of the IPL and head off plans for a rival event.

To pay for big-star names such as Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting to play in such a tournament, counties would probably have to find big-name sponsors from the world of telecommunications, banking or breweries. As the IPL franchises have shown, this is quite possible. So we might see star-laden teams called Vodafone Surrey or NatWest Northampton-shire.

The ECB is also encouraging all counties to put their players on 12-month contracts rather than season-long ones, so that they can prevent them playing in overseas Twenty20 events should they wish. Various national boards are already working in concert to stem the flow of players to the unofficial Indian Cricket League (ICL), a Twenty20 tournament run by the head of Zee TV, Subhash Chandra. Any overseas player signed to the ICL faces a ban from county cricket, and English players have been told that they jeopardise their chances of England selection.

It is expected that three English players – Darren Maddy, Vikram Solanki and Chris Read – who joined the ICL last year will shortly announce that they are not going back. So will Ireland’s Boyd Rankin, who is in the process of qualifying for England. However, it emerged yesterday that Nic Pothas, the Hampshire wicketkeeper who recently completed his England qualification, has joined the ICL, as has Surrey’s Saqlain Mush-taq, also England-qualified.

With the ICL being denied use of the best stadiums by the Indian board, which in effect owns the IPL, and participants facing ostracism from the cricketing establishment, the ICL appears set to become virtually a masters tournament for players at the end of their careers.

The fees on offer in the IPL, however, are so big that players in their prime may go to greater lengths to take part. David Hussey, the Australian batsman signed by Nottinghamshire, is believed to have offered to compensate the county for the early weeks of the season he will miss to take up a £320,000 deal to play for Calcutta in the IPL.

England will be lucky to prevent any defections, therefore, especially with owners of Indian franchises talking of wanting to sign Andrew Flintoff and Monty Panesar for about £750,000 each. Such sums may prove too big to resist. While their hands may be tied until their existing contracts run out in September, England-contracted players could then attempt to renegotiate their arrangements so that they can join the IPL.

Matthew Hoggard, the England fast bowler, yesterday admitted that the IPL was being discussed among the squad. “There’s a lot of stupid money flying about and I understand why a lot of people have gone to India to ply their trade,” he said. “If you are getting four or five times your salary for six weeks’ work, it can’t be a bad job.

“But I want to play for England and play as many Tests as I can. Most of the guys want to play as much as they can for England, so I don’t think it’s going to be a massive draw on talent. But the IPL has got a lot of clout and maybe the International Cricket Council has realised that fact.”

The IPL may also see it as a matter of pride and commercial importance that the event has an English presence. Lalit Modi, president of the Indian board and a prime mover behind the IPL, has claimed that the majority of England players, or their agents, have been in contact.

Cricket’s money game

- England stars in line to play seven Twenty20 internationals each year for extra pay, and an exhibition match in the Caribbean against Allen Stanford’s All Stars XI

- England players to be rewarded bigger bonuses to dissuade them from joining the Indian Premier League

- Darren Maddy, Chris Read and Vikram Solanki to pull out of rebel Indian league, but Nic Pothas, inset, of Hampshire, signs up

- ECB consider allowing counties up to four overseas players each in Twenty20 Cup from 2009 in an effort to thwart rival league being set up

England exodus

- Andrew Flintoff and Monty Panesar will be targeted by the Indian Premier League

- The pair could earn up to £750,000 for only seven weeks a year, according to Dr Vijay Mallya, the financier behind the Bangalore team

- Dimitri Mascarenhas and other English players are also in the frame

- 'I would love to buy an Andrew Flintoff or a Mascarenhas or Panesar. They would be superstars in India,’ said Mallya

Explore Cricket

• Counties