TRP battle in Australia: WI Tests take on IPL

Melbourne: Australian Cricketers' Association chief Paul Marsh was surprised by the huge success of Indian Premier League but feels that the impact of the lucrative Twenty20 tournament on cricket fans Down under will only be known when Australia's Test series against West Indies begins on May 22.

Marsh, who had a first hand experience of the IPL when he was in India during the initial phase of the tournament, said he would monitor how the Australians choose between their Test team's series against the West Indies and the IPL by taking note of television ratings.

The first two-and-a-half Tests of the series will overlap with the final stages of the IPL, which is being shown on free-to-air in Australia and in a similar time slot.

"International cricket is a very rapidly changing environment at the moment and we wouldn't be doing our job if we weren't monitoring it. The time slots will have some crossover, so I'm sure it will tell us some sort of a story," Marsh said.

From an Australian perspective, with our top players in the West Indies, we'd expect people would be more interested in the West Indies tour than the IPL. I would think that our fans will go wherever our top players are and that's going to be the West Indies.

"If it worked any other way it would be very interesting outcome. It would tell a story about how well the IPL is going," he was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald.

Marsh talked highly of IPL, saying it was not just about entertainment, but it had quickly gained a parochial aspect and had proved a skilled game.

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