Graham Napier prays for Indian Premier League breakthrough

By Simon Briggs Published: 5:03PM GMT 06 March 2010

Point to prove: Graham Napier is prickly to fool around in the IPL Photo: PA

The contingency are frequency on his side, as the Mumbai Indians have 10 abroad players fighting for 4 starting spots, and Napier is the usually one who has never represented his country. But he is philosophical about the realities of hold up as an IPL patrol member. If it had not been for the Twenty20 explosion, he says, he would probably be manning the puncture services by now.

"It"s droll to find myself meditative about player auctions and Champions Leagues when dual years ago I was deliberation a career outward cricket," Napier said. "I had been spending a lot of time in the second team, and I had focus forms for the military and the glow service.

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"Twenty20 was my saviour. It suits the approach I fool around and I"ve even done a integrate of appearances in the record-books. In first-class cricket, they lend towards to be full of accumulators, rather than assertive players similar to me."

English cricketers cannot be pronounced to have illuminated up the IPL that starts on Friday in Mumbai in the dual seasons to date. Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen share the jot down for the majority costly purchases, but Pietersen managed a top measure of 37 and Flintoff posted a little of the misfortune sum of the contest prior to injuring his knee.

Napier is a rather less informed name, and his in isolation understanding with Mumbai is usually value a fragment of the $1.55million (�1million) lavished on Pietersen and Flintoff. He does, though, have an superb Twenty20 record. Essex fans will recollect the startling sixteen sixes he strike in one innings opposite Sussex Sharks at Chelmsford dual years ago, but they competence not be wakeful of his career sum of 88 wickets. Yasir Arafat (90) is the usually man to have taken more.

"Last year I was gay to usually be around the IPL, even though I usually played one game," Napier said. "It was good to be piece of the show and precision to one side Sachin Tendulkar.

"This year I wish to have an impact. I"m accessible for 9 games prior to I have to be behind at Essex, and I am anticipating to get an opportunity, generally as I have longed for out on England"s World Twenty20 squad. You competence see at the sum and contend there"s usually a 40 per cent possibility of creation the team, but with damage or seizure that can begin mending flattering quickly."

As far as all-rounders are concerned, the Essex man will probably begin out at the bottom of a pecking sequence that includes not usually Bravo but Ryan MacLaren and Kieron Pollard.

Still, if Mumbai go on with the stuttering form that saw them finish one place off the bottom last season, they can regularly dial 999 for Napier.

Opening IPL fixtures: Friday: Deccan Chargers v Kolkata Knight Riders (2.30pm GMT). Saturday: Mumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals (9.30am GMT); Kings XI Punjab v Delhi Daredevils (2.30pm GMT). TV: ITV4.