Leg-spin great Shane Warne says the International Cricket Council should ensure that the world's top players who signed up with the Indian Premier League play in the "revolutionary" Twenty20 venture.
Talking to newspersons on Friday after the official launch of Jaipur franchise Rajasthan Royals, Warne rubbished the notion that the IPL will have a negative influence on international cricket.
"It is a new and revolutionary concept, and if ICC uses a little commonsense it can co-exist with international cricket," he said.
"The ICC should accommodate the IPL in the international calendar and ensure that best players of the cricketing world play in it. It would make the IPL more colourful and competitive," Warne, who is the captain-cum-coach of the team, said.
The Australian, who has 708 Test wickets in his kitty, felt the IPL will do a lot of good to young cricketers.
"They are getting the money and also chance to play along with great players of the world."
Warne also did not agree that spinners have a small role to play in the shortest version of cricket.
"Though Twenty20 is called batsman's game, bowlers can turn it around. Yes, spinners will be hit but often we saw good performances by them too. They have evolved and I feel they certainly have a big role in this format of cricket too," he said.
Is Rajasthan Royals the weakest team in the fray in the eight-team League?
Warne did not agree.
"Yes, we don't have Sachin (Tendulkar), but still we have Younis Khan,
Graeme Smith, apart from few youngsters in our ranks. I feel we have an exciting team, we have a balanced team," he said.
"It is a question of extracting the best from the team members. It is the responsibility of the players to perform to their potential."
Asked whether his role as captain-cum-coach will work, Warne replied that it had worked for Hampshire, where he shouldered both responsibilities till deciding to quit first class cricket yesterday.
"I feel it is good, as instead of two or three voices you have only one voice in the team. It had worked pretty good. I had combined the two roles in Hampshire and the team reached two finals in four years which was not bad."
Warne feels sledging will not be an issue during the Twenty20 tournament, starting on April 18, and added that he welcomes any role for former India coach Greg Chappell in his IPL team.
