All aboard the cricket gravy train

Think of the affront that the ageing owner of a country house might feel if he found that his Gainsborough had been replaced by a Damien Hirst. Cricket, a sport that has always been more enthralled by its history than its future, is about to change radically, with the best players, out to make a buck, leading the way.

At 7.00 local time this evening in Bangalore, the Royal Challengers will take on the Kolkata Knight Riders in the debut match of the Indian Premier League.

A Twenty20 tournament with a global broadcasting deal topping $1bn for ten years, the IPL has mascots, cheerleaders and razzmatazz galore. Most important, it has the financial incentives that the longer form of the game lacks. Top Test cricketers from around the world - apart from England, so far - have climbed aboard the gravy train.

Shane Warne, who had been set to