Johannesburg, May 21 (Inditop) The pot of gold at the end of the Indian Premier League (IPL) rainbow that had driven Australian Shane Warne to come out of retirement to play in the series has eluded him.
Warne, 39, candidly told the Afrikaans weekly Rapport earlier that the only reason why he and former team mates Adam Gilchrist and Glen McGrath were still playing cricket at their age was money.
“Cricket players’ careers get extended by a series like (the IPL). There is so much money at stake that you would be a fool not to take advantage of it.”
“I believe there are many former players who would give anything to have been part of this era. Guys like Gilly, Glenn and I are getting a last chance before we cannot play at all. And why not?”
Warne said the Twenty20 format of the game suited retired players perfectly: “We still have a lot to offer to the IPL.”
But hopes of extra riches for the Rajasthan Royals captain by reaching the final of IPL II were dashed when Kolkata Knight Riders, who sit at the bottom of the log, held their nerve under pressure to squeeze a four-wicket win in the final over against the Rajasthan Royals in a low-scoring clash in Durban on Wednesday. The inaugural champions are now out of the running.