Melbourne: The image crisis that has hit the Australians post-Sydney furore may jeopardise their chances of playing in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) as the BCCI-backed tourney's franchise owners are not too keen on signing them due to a "dramatic" decline in their popularity in India.
BCCI Vice-President lalit Modi has warned that there will be Australian "casualties" when IPL franchise owners start recruiting players as the world champions reputation has taken a severe beating in the ugly episode in Sydney.

Modi said Australian cricketers popularity has gone down "dramatically" in India and that has made franchise owners a bit apprehensive about having them on board. "We sincerely hope there is no impact (on their involvement in the IPL). It will be for the team owners to decide. But there definitely will be some casualties from the feedback we are getting," Modi told The Age.

Mike Hussey, Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds have all signed expressions of interest for the lucrative league, where they can earn anything between $300,000 and $500,000.

Source : PTI