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08:58 GMT, Thursday, 9 October 2008 09:58 UK

Stanford game 'only about money'

Alistair Cook

Alastair Cook admits money will be the sole motivation for England's players in the Stanford Twenty20 game.

Each player will earn $1m (£577,500) if they beat a Stanford Superstars side in the game on 1 November in Antigua.

"The actual cricket is quite unimportant, apart from financially," the England batsman told BBC 5 Live.

"Of course, money does talk and a lot of the players are excited about playing it but in terms of cricket, we know it's not that important."

Essex opener Cook is part of a 15-man squad who will travel to the Caribbean to play in the Stanford Super Series - should it go ahead.

Talks are ongoing after the West Indies Cricket Board, which sanctioned the match, lost a High Court case against team sponsor Digicel, which had been overlooked for the Stanford Super Series.

The series is the brainchild of billionaire businessman Sir Allen Stanford.

Asked whether it would be important were it not for the prize money on offer, Cook responded: "Of course it wouldn't.

606: DEBATE
Are Cook's comments surprising?

"We'll use it probably as a warm-up for the Twenty20 World Cup in England next year.

"We can only benefit and that's a good position to be in, but when you're talking about the Stanford millions or the Ashes, there's only going to be one winner."

England signed up to the series at a glitzy launch in June, where Stanford emphatically denied the idea was merely a gimmick.

He revealed that each winning player would receive more than £500,000, with another £1m split between the rest of the squad and the coaches.

Another £3.5m is set to be divided between the England and West Indies Cricket Boards, if a compromise between Digicel and the WICB can be reached.


Stanford Super Series schedule:

25 Oct: Stanford Super Stars v Trinidad & Tobago
26 Oct: England v Middlesex
27 Oct: Trinidad & Tobago v Middlesex
28 Oct: England v Trinidad & Tobago
29 Oct: Stanford Super Stars v Middlesex
30 Oct: Rest day
31 Oct: Legends Beach Cricket match
1 Nov: Stanford Super Stars v England



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Related to this story:

Stanford Super Series fixtures (20 Sep 08 |  Cricket )
Players assured on Stanford game (08 Oct 08 |  Cricket )
Big-money England match in doubt (07 Oct 08 |  Cricket )
England confident over $20m match (06 Oct 08 |  Cricket )
Row threatens $20m Stanford match (22 Sep 08 |  Cricket )
Sammy gets late Stanford call-up (19 Sep 08 |  West Indies )
Harmison gets $1m Stanford chance (09 Sep 08 |  England )
England bag £50m Twenty20 bonanza (11 Jun 08 |  Cricket )
Stanford plans global expansion (12 Jun 08 |  Cricket )

RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
Stanford 20/20
ECB
WICB
Digicel
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