Top-ping the IPL billing the dream
REECE TOPLEY has enjoyed a golden summer with England in white-ball cricket.
Now he’s hoping a tour of Pakistan can take him one step closer to striking it rich in next year’s Indian Premier
League.
The Surrey star has established himself as a go-to bowler in both T20 and 50-over cricket.
He has also shown what he’s capable of with the red ball since making the switch to The Oval.
But he’s not eyeing a Test call-up.
Instead, Topley believes he’s getting close to fulfilling his dream of landing a mega-bucks IPL deal.
“All my energies are going to be channelled into white-ball cricket from now on,” said Topley, who’s likely to lead England’s attack in their tour opener against Pakistan on Tuesday.
“My goal is to play in the IPL.
“That’s my biggest dream in cricket right now. I would obviously like to win the (T20) World Cup with England but after that my focus is really on getting that IPL deal.
“I’ve had opportunities to go in the past. Unfortunately, people have said if you want to play Test cricket then you can’t go to the IPL because it’s not red-ball cricket.
“So something has to give, and if that’s red-ball ambitions then that’s fine.”
Given his form for England, he’s unlikely to be short of suitors.
This tour of Pakistan represents a perfect opportunity for him to show his versatility on wickets which will be far less helpful than those he bowled on in England this summer.
For Topley, 28, the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia also offers him a chance to banish the memories of the 2016 tournament, when he sent down just 4.1 expensive overs.
“My memories of 2016 are that I was very young and impressionable,” he said. “I was a bit of a yes man, probably to my detriment.
“This time around, I’m a lot clearer in my mind. I’ve got a lot more experience.
“Because there are so few games, I think it will probably come down to run-rate so you can’t really afford to have any off days. If you do then you’ve jeopardised qualification. You really need to hit the ground running.”