Patrick Kidd writes about the rash of English players going out of their way to announce that they've turned down an offer to join the IPL. These honourable players most likely weren't offered much to play given limited budgets, but never mind because it looks like the IPL is set to scrap payroll limits:

The IPL had put a cap of $ 5 million (just over Rs 20 crore) for the franchises this year to prevent the very rich team owners from splurging too much.

"If we hadn't done that, I can tell you that our players would already be the highest-paid across any sport in the world," IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi said.

"It will happen - if not today, then tomorrow. Because once the franchises have established themselves, it will be a free-for-all," he added.

Over in West Indies, George Lamming---one of the best writers from the Caribbean---suggests a link between the decline of the West Indian region and playing for money:

Lamming was also disappointed at the relationship that existed between players of the modern era and their employers.

"Today, cricket is a business. Guys are playing for money. They have every right to play for money," he said.

"It is sometimes unfair to be attacking them for indiscipline. We have not prepared them to carry the weight of that legacy. You can't ask them to carry that weight. They have one little chance to make some money.

"I've never been able to understand why we should allow the tensions between the board and the players to go on so long. It seems that the history of the relations of the board with the player is a history of unending tensions.

"You never get the feeling that the board and the players are working towards some consensus which has to do with the sovereignty of the game. It is the worst kind of industrial work relations that you can get. It is tied up with the fragmentation of the region."

Finally, Q has the run down on IPL performances so far: the second quarter end results.