Cricket: Club vs. Country? England, West Indian players make big calls over IPL participation
Buttler, Jacks, Overton set to miss remainder of IPL
The England cricket team is about to embark on a very busy summer schedule, which starts with a one-off Test against Zimbabwe on Thursday, before hosting the West Indies in a five-match ODI series and three T20Is between the end of this month and June 10.
With the Indian Premier League now set to run beyond the originally planned schedule, players from England, South Africa, Australia and the West Indies have been faced with a serious dilemma regarding whether to prioritise national commitments over the big-money IPL.
South Africa are set to take on Australia in the World Test Championship final on June 11, while England’s upcoming series - all of which will be covered by our cricket predictions - is part of their preparation for India’s arrival next month and build-up to the Ashes later in the year.
This week, it was revealed that Jos Buttler will miss the remainder of the IPL for the Gujarat Titans to feature for England against the Windies, marking a significant blow for GT, who currently lead the league standings heading into the Playoffs.
Will Jacks and Jamie Overton followed suit, opting out of the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings squads. MI are still in the running for a Playoff berth, while CSK are bottom of the log and out of contention to reach the knockout stages.
With the IPL relaxing their replacement rules owing to the league’s stoppage stemming from the tensions between India and Pakistan in recent weeks, Jonny Bairstow has been called up by Mumbai as an emergency replacement for Jacks for the rest of the competition.
Bairstow has not played for England in the last year and went unsold during the IPL mega auction last year. However, he does have 50 IPL appearances spanning five seasons, representing the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings under his belt.
SA-AUS players to rejoin IPL teams for Playoffs
With South Africa and Australia’s blockbuster World Test Championship final clash set for June 11, there were several concerns that players from the Proteas and Baggy Greens may be forced to return to their homelands before the end of the IPL.
However, it seems that those who make up teams that are headed for the Playoffs, such as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings, are expected to remain in India until the end of the competition on June 3.
Among the South Africans who have rejoined their IPL franchises in recent days are Kagiso Rabada (GT) and Marco Jansen (PBKS), but the Mumbai Indians’ duo of Ryan Rickelton and Corbin Bosch have stepped down and will be replaced by Richard Gleeson and Charith Asalanka, respectively.
As for the Aussies’ camp, Josh Hazlewood missed RCB’s last match due to a shoulder injury, but is expected to feature for the team in the Playoffs, while the trio of Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis and Aaron Hardie will be available for Punjab during the knockout rounds.
