Players need IPL to develop - Swann

Graeme Swann has followed Paul Collingwood's lead by expressing disappointment that England players don't get more exposure to Twenty20 through the IPL.

The IPL clashes with England's tour of Bangladesh which means leading players wouldn't be available for a chunk of the event and that makes them unattractive to franchises. Swann was put forward for the recent auction ahead of the third season of the IPL, but didn't come away with a deal as Eoin Morgan was the only Englishman to get snapped up.

Swann understands why owners don't want to throw money at players they won't see much of, but hopes that there will be a chance in future years of England players seeing more Twenty20 action.

"It is disappointing of course but you fully understand it when you're only available for a three-week window," he told reporters in Dubai. "I certainly wouldn't throw any money at an English player if you can only have them for three or four games.

"That's a shame for us as players because I think that if we are going to develop then in an ideal world we would be made available for a lot more of the IPL, but that isn't for me to decide. It would be nice if we had a chance to play a bit more Twenty20 cricket and in the next few years I'm sure that will be the case."

With many of England's players not involved with the IPL the two Twenty20 matches against Pakistan are important for the team as they plan for the World Twenty20 in West Indies from the end of April

"As it is we can't complain about that; we just need to use the games we've got to make sure we're good enough to compete and hopefully win in the West Indies," Swann said.

Along with Morgan, who was signed by Bangalore Royal Challengers following his impressive limited-overs performances for England, Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen will head to the IPL when the Test series against Bangladesh ends in late March.

Swann was seen as a possible contender for a deal this year, despite his limited availability, after an outstanding 12 months coupled with his marketable character. However, despite missing out on a nice pay day Swann sees a positive from the outcome.

"I was over the moon when I heard (there had been no offers)," he joked. "I've only been married two weeks and she said she'd leave me if I couldn't go home after this tour."