New deal for Willey after IPL row is resolved

DAVID WILLEY is adamant his decision to join this year’s Indian Premier League was a “no-brainer” – even though it meant he briefly risked losing his Yorkshire contract.

The 28-year-old reports his three-match stint with IPL champions Chennai Super Kings, under the tutelage of coach Stephen Fleming, rekindled his love for cricket and opened up new tactical awareness which will benefit both club and country.

Willey is back in the good books at Headingley – where he has signed a new contract until the end of 2019 – and is intent on helping England to win the World Cup next summer for the first time in their history.

Asked if he found it a tough decision to fly to the IPL as an injury replacement and therefore miss several weeks at the start of Yorkshire’s season, he said: “It was a no-brainer.

“You don’t get the chance to go and play in the biggest Twenty20 competition in the world every day. I was threatened with them ripping my contract up – which wasn’t great – but that has all been resolved now.”

Yorkshire lost Willey and fellow England seamer Liam Plunkett to late IPL call-ups.

But he said: “I think the landscape of the modern game is changing, and I do think counties should try and work with it rather than work against it – and look at the longer-term picture. I think if counties had that outward look at these competitions as a longer-term benefit it would be better for everyone involved. There would be less arguments and fall-outs along the way.

“I’ve signed another year at Yorkshire – which is going through today – and I still want to play all formats. I may not be around as much as Yorkshire would like at the minute, but I see myself as having a long-term benefit to the county I’m at.”

Former South Africa batsman Heino Kuhn’s unbeaten 124 saw Kent knock out holders Nottinghamshire and reach the semi-finals of the Royal London One-Day Cup.