Cook would pick England over IPL

Cook has made seven centuries in 27 Tests for England

Alastair Cook insisted his England team-mates would rather play for their country than join the lucrative Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition.

Cook said he would only play in the IPL if it did not affect his England career - a view shared by Michael Vaughan.

"I can't see people turning their back on playing for their country," said Cook. "If you can do both it would be great but England comes first.

"Financially it's better to play in the IPL but life is not all about money."

England players had originally been told that the England and Wales Cricket Board would not change its domestic calendar to suit the Indian League.

ECB chairman Giles Clarke had also warned that players who gave up their central contracts to play in the IPL would risk not playing for their country in the future.

But England chiefs have now softened their stance and may make room for players to participate in 2010, a move which Cook would welcome.

606: DEBATE Your thoughts on England and the Twenty20 game

"To play with [the] Aussies, South Africans and Kiwis in one side together could be really exciting," said the England opener, 23.

"The schedules are so tight at the moment that it is just not possible and first and foremost it's about England.

"I definitely won't be changing. Twenty20 has changed Test cricket in many ways with scoring rates but the benchmark is Test cricket and I can't see that changing for a long time.

"There is no greater thrill than scoring hundreds or taking wickets to win games."

New Zealand's Test series against England has, however, already been affected by the introduction of the IPL.

The tourists arrived for the first Test at Lord's, which begins on 15 May, with five players, including captain Daniel Vettori, missing because they opted to play in the IPL.

And Dimitri Mascarenhas, who played in England's one-day series against New Zealand over the winter and is the only English player in the IPL, says it is only a matter of time before more England players join him in the league.

"The England players are desperate to play in the IPL," Mascarenhas, who signed for the Kolkata Knight Riders, told the Hindu newspaper.

"Next year they will all put their hands up to come and play."

Captain Vaughan, star batsman Kevin Pietersen and bowler Ryan Sidebottom have all expressed their interest in playing in the IPL in future seasons.