Surrey have confirmed they have spoken to Indian Premier League franchises about the feasibility of playing at The Oval.

However, the county will press ahead only with the “blessing” of the England and Wales Cricket Board.

A packed schedule of domestic and international fixtures next season ensures Surrey chief executive Paul Sheldon is adopting a cautious approach.

But the possibility of bringing one or more IPL Twenty20 fixtures to London - along with the associated lucrative commercial opportunities - is one he is prepared to explore, in the right circumstances.

“It is true we have spoken to certain IPL franchises about staging games here,” Sheldon said.

“If it was possible within the calendar and with the blessing of the ECB, we would certainly look at it.”

That condition is an important caveat for Sheldon, who is anxious Surrey do the right thing by English and international cricket as well as themselves.

“Looking forward to 2009, the domestic and international calendar is very tight - so it will probably be difficult to find time for it,” he said.

“If it were possible we would be very keen to do it, but we would always work closely with the ECB.”

Surrey’s initial IPL interest came to light when Azhar Majeed - agent of the Londoners’ Pakistani off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq - put it in the public domain.

Azhar is worried that his client’s links to the rebel Indian Cricket League might work against him because of Surrey’s negotiations with IPL.

The two Indian rivals share no common ground, and Twenty20 Cup runners-up Kent were denied their chance to take part in this year’s inaugural IPL Champions League because of that competition’s objections to connections on the county staff with ICL.

Azhar told www.pakpassion.net: “It’s true that Surrey County Cricket Club are hoping to host some IPL games at The Oval next season.”

Despite a subsequent denial of that fact by IPL chief executive Sundar Raman, Sheldon has clarified the situation.

The Surrey boss has also noted ECB chairman Giles Clarke’s suggestions today that English cricket grounds may be able to host Test matches between Asian countries.

The Oval may well be one of the venues Clarke has in mind, but Sheldon is wary of the extra expense and administration required to stage Test cricket.

“I think a Test match - five days and all the associated costs - would obviously be more difficult to arrange than a Twenty20 fixture,” he warned.