England stars wait on IPL meeting 
England's top players hope a meeting in India today can pave the way for them to play in next season's Indian Premier League. Giles Clarke and David Collier of the England and Wales Cricket Board will meet IPL chairman Lalit Modi. Players' chief Sean Morris told BBC Sport: "Most England players have had discussions with IPL franchises. 
"But the IPL haven't announced their fixtures yet and we don't definitely know England's commitments."  He added: "The IPL has been a great success and any top cricketer would want to compete in it." 
 
As things stand, players will find it very difficult to play in the IPL, because the Indian competition's fixtures will clash with England's. And they do not want to sign their central contracts until this is clarified. The IPL is expected to run from 10 April to the end of May, while England play their final one-day match against the West Indies on 3 April and then begin their proposed Test series against Sri Lanka on 7 May. But Sri Lanka's tour is not expected to go ahead because 13 of their top players are playing in the IPL. 
If their tour is scrapped, the West Indies are waiting in the wings to deputise and play a two-Test series, just weeks after England have returned from playing a three-Test series out there. Modi reiterated that he will not allow England players to play in only a handful of IPL matches. "That does not work for us," he told BBC Sport. "They have to be available for a substantial period for them to be in the auction over the next two years. That's what the next contract period will be. "I am told the England players are quite eager to take part, as one would expect any player anywhere in the world to be. And yes, they have had talks with a few of the franchises." 
 
The fixture clash has created an impasse that Modi and the ECB hope to resolve today. 
ECB spokesman Andrew Walpole refused to comment on the meeting when contacted by BBC Sport.