Flintoff's decision to reject ECB contract will benefit Chennai Super Kings

Sydney, Sep 18 (ANI): The Indian Premier League would be benefited after Andrew Flintoff rejected the ECB contract, said Chennai Super Kings, the team the England all rounder plays for in the IPL.

Chennai Super Kings manager VB Chandrasekhar said Flintoff's decision to reject the contract would greatly benefit Chennai, but only if he was fit.

"But the thing is," he said, "it's not just about what a cricketer can give on the field. 'Fred gives us a full package - in terms of marketing he is very valuable. Last time he was of great value to our dressing room, even when he wasn't playing; someone of that aura can lift the team," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted him, as saying.

The development comes amid bizarre reasoning by his manager, Andrew Chandler, that Flintoff rejected the ECB contract because he might have to go "bungee jumping".

With Flintoff's troubled injury history and the unproven results of his radical treatment in Dubai, any further damage to his knee could be career-threatening and he may be forced to pay for his own treatment.

The Super Kings pay Flintoff 1.55 million dollars a season and expressed sympathy with his plight, saying they may pay for rehabilitation depending on the circumstances, but did not guarantee it.

"There is a rule that says if it is a pre-existing injury, then the IPL team is not liable," Chandrasekhar said.

"If you have taken a player in and if it is a serious injury and has occurred during the IPL, sometimes you have to weigh that up. We pay him on a match-to-match basis," he added.

Under the IPL regulations, players must declare previous injuries, but Chennai is fully aware of the well-publicised knee problem that kept Flintoff out of the fourth Ashes Test.

Flintoff's IPL future after 2010 is also in doubt, as he requires a No-Objection Certificate from the ECB. Granting him one would set a dangerous precedent for the board, as other players could follow his lead - precisely what the certificate is designed to prevent. (ANI)