England has produced a pathetic performance in the ongoing 2021-22 Ashes series against Australia. The Joe Root-led side has already surrendered the series and is currently 0-3 down after 4 Tests concluded.
The below-par performances of the England cricketers in Ashes have now put their participation in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in jeopardy. It has been learned that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is planning to conduct a full review into England’s defeat Down Under.
England May Ban Test Cricketers From Participating In IPL 2022 After Ashes 2021/22 Defeat: Report
According to a report, director of cricket Ashley Giles would be preparing a report which will include a number of recommendations to improve the Test team’s fortunes. Baring English cricketers from taking part in the IPL would be one of the ideas.
The Indian T20 league usually lasts two months, however, this year it’s set to get longer with the introduction of two new teams namely Ahmedabad and Lucknow. The IPL 2022 is set to clash with the initial phase of England’s Test summer as the knockout stages are likely to overlap with their first Test against New Zealand in June.
The IPL 2022 players auction is scheduled to take place in February in which a lot of England players are expected to take part. So far, only Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali have been retained by their respective franchises. It has also been learned that the players participating in the IPL will be asked to cut short their time in India so that they can feature in some domestic games to prepare for the New Zealand Tests.
Michael Atherton Criticized England Cricketers For Emphasizing IPL Over International Fixtures
On the other hand, former England players have time and again criticized current players for emphasizing IPL over international fixtures. Michael Atherton, former England captain, stressed the fact that the cricketers should not miss national duties for the cash-rich T20 league.
“The leading multi-format players are paid seven-figure sums, but, incredibly, the ECB washes its hands of them for two months of the year during the Indian Premier League,” Atherton wrote in his column.
“The players should be told that, while the ECB will be accommodating of the request to play in IPL, a 12-month contract is exactly that, and the granting of a no-objection certificate to play in IPL and other franchised competitions is contingent on it being in the best interests of the England team,” he added.
Also, from 2022, the Indian Premier League is set to become grander, as the Indian T20 League will be a 10-team affair. This means that there would be more matches, and the tournament might extend into June. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has decided to retain the services of all-rounder Moeen Ali, while the Rajasthan Royals (RR) have retained Jos Buttler.
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) emerged as the champions of the 2021 edition of the IPL, and won the IPL title for the 4th time, beating the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) side in the summit clash of the tournament. A total of 27 players were retained in the retention list by the eight existing teams. Ace players like Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Kane Williamson have been retained by their respective teams ahead of the mega auction in 2022.
Eoin Morgan, who led Kolkata Knight Riders to IPL 2021 final, was released by the franchise. Ahead of the second leg of IPL 2021, Jonny Bairstow (SRH), Dawid Malan (PBKS), and Chris Woakes (DC) had pulled out of the tournament due to personal reasons.
All three players were released by their respective franchises. Ben Stokes and pacer Jofra Archer also were released by the franchise after they couldn’t participate in the entire season due to various injuries. Punjab Kings duo of Chris Jordan and Adil Rashid along with Delhi Capitals pacer Tom Curran are the other released players from England.
List of England players to be available for IPL 2022 auction: Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes, Chris Jordan, Chris Woakes, Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan, Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Sam Billings, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Jofra Archer (doubtful).