new delhi: The BCCI and IPL franchises have ramped up pressure on foreign boards to ensure that their players return for the league’s resumption on May 17 despite some lingering safety concerns in the wake of India-Pakistan military hostilities.
The BCCI top brass has instructed IPL COO Hemang Amin to individually speak to the likes of Cricket Australia (CA) and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to allay the concerns that the players may have about returning to India. All the 10 teams are involved in a lot of back and forth with their overseas recruits over their arrival plans in India a day after the IPL announced the revised schedule following necessary security clearances from the government.
The world’s biggest T20 league was suspended on May 9 due to an India-Pakistan military showdown, triggered by the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, south Kashmir. A day after its suspension, a ceasefire between the two countries was announced, paving the way for IPL’s resumption.
“We have been speaking to the foreign boards individually while teams are directly dealing with their players. We expect majority of them to return,” a BCCI official said.
CA has left it on the players to decide on their participation and in matters like these, the players’ association has a role to play as well.
Team officials, on the other hand, said that some of the foreign players remain anxious to return but majority of them should come back before the tournament resumes.
“The revised scheduled was announced last night. We have just started contacting our foreign players over their availability. We will have a clearer picture by tomorrow morning. Anyway our game is on May 20. We have enough time,” said CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan.
CSK’s foreign players include Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad and Matheesha Pathirana.
Afghanistan’s Ahmad and Pathirana from Sri Lanka are set to join the team while there are doubts over the availability of their New Zealand players.
Jos Buttler, who has contributed immensely to Gujarat Titans’ campaign at number three this season, will now need to choose between IPL and his England commitments after being named in the ODI squad for the series against West Indies beginning at home on May 29.
Also included in the England ODI squad are Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks, who are part of RCB and Mumbai Indians, respectively.