IPL to provide financial security to players; will get bigger: Ora

New Delhi, May 12 (UNI) Brushing aside claims that the IPL would curtail international careers, New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram said the BCCI backed league would provide financial security to players and added that Twenty20 tournament will go a long way from here on.

''Financially speaking, most definitely. What you can earn over there in a year is a career - or at least a good three or four years - for New Zealand, so it's certainly security for my future and my family,'' Oram said in an interview to a private website.

''That's a good thing, but I've also got to be careful that New Zealand, and what I'm doing here, is still priority number one and not the other way round. The IPL is great and I think it will only get bigger and better and improve cricket, but New Zealand is number one,'' he added.

Oram was among the five New Zealand players who was picked up to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The 29-year old Oram, who played for Chennai Super Kings, however, ruled out the possibility of players announcing their retirements to be a part of the IPL.

''With some IPL money behind them, players could relax at the top level and express themselves. It might ease the pressures, especially surrounding injury and selection.

''Say, if playing for New Zealand is your only source of income and you are in and out of the team because of injury or form, then most definitely, if you have that security behind you from India then I can only see it easing a bit of that stress on you.'' he said.

He further claimed that playing for the national side will always remain a priority for every player as that is how one gets noticed and is then picked up by the Twenty20 leagues.

''But again, you've got to be careful and make sure you do the job for New Zealand because, personally, that was the springboard for being chosen for the IPL,'' he added.

Oram, in his brief stint with Chennai Super Kings, played four games and picked up three wickets while he scored 18 runs during his stay with team.

He said it was great learning experience for him adding that on a few occasions he seemed confused with all the top cricketers being part of the tournament which is said to be a batsman-dominated format.

''On a couple of occasions I questioned what the hell I was doing. I mean the wickets are flat out there ... the quality of batsmen - it was the best players in the world; and I was having to open the bowling for Chennai due to our lack of bowling depth. ''It's a job I hardly did for my first-class state, let alone New Zealand. Then I was thrust in against Jayasuriya, Ganguly, McCullum, so it was an eye-opener, but to tell you the truth, I learnt a lot from it. The stats probably don't show that, but in the four games I got better and learnt a lot about my bowling in Twenty20,'' he said.

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