Page last updated at 11:58 GMT, Wednesday, 25 February 2009

England duo set for IPL showdown:

Pietersen could play up to eight games in the IPL and Flintoff six Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen will go head to head on their Indian Premier League debuts on 11 April. The pair are among five England players who will play in this year's tournament, having each been snapped up for a record £1.1m at the IPL auction. Flintoff will turn out for Chennai Super Kings, with Pietesen representing Bangalore Royal Challengers. The second IPL season begins on Friday 10 April in Jaipur and the final is set to be held in Mumbai on 24 May. Paul Collingwood, Ravi Bopara and Owais Shah are the three other England players involved after the England and Wales Cricket Board agreed to allow players to compete for the first three weeks of the competition. That will allow Pietersen to play in eight games before the 30 April deadline, while Flintoff should be able to feature in six matches. The England all-rounder's participation was called into question after he picked up an injury during England's tour of the West Indies - but he insists he will be fit. The ECB had suggested Flintoff could be prevented from playing if he was deemed a risk ahead of the Ashes this summer.