Three For The Show?

Imagine you're Dmitri Mascarenhas. You have pretty well developed ODI skills, especially in the 20/20 field where your ability to thrash 25 off an over is quite sought after. You're probably never going to be a 'regular' in the England Test line up, so the chances of getting a central contract are pretty slim. You can make a fairly comfortable living as a ODI specialist on top of your county salary, but don't you cast the occasional envious glance at the IPL - a league where your value would probably have been in the region of £250,000 at the recent auction?

Imagine you're Andrew Flintoff. You've just had a fourth operation on a dodgy ankle. Despite saying all the right things to the press about feeling better than you have done for years, you must surely be having lingering doubts about the length of time you'll be able to keep playing at your normal level. Might you not be thinking that a big payday with the IPL might just be what you need to set yourself up securely for the future, rather than chancing everything on staying fit enough to have an extended run in the England test side?

Imagine you're Marcus Trescothick. Although no one's said so publicly, you can be pretty certain that your test career is, regrettably, now over - and a ODI recall is becoming less likely as time passes. Your absence from the England side has thrown both test and ODI sides out of kilter, to the extent that neither has properly recovered. You're still one of the most destructive opening batsmen in the world, and would be a useful man to have at the top of the order, mixing solidity with destructive power. (Sort of like Matthew Hayden, without the nauseating sanctimoniousness) Why the hell aren't you getting ready for a mega-bucks payday in India?

Now, imagine you're Giles Clarke....