IPL Or ODI Series Against Ireland: Jos Buttler’s Tricky Dilemma
Jan 19, 2017 at 12:10 PM
England wicket-keeper Jos Buttler has agreed to being in a dilemma over whether to play in the lucrative Indian Premier League or leave the tournament mid-way for a two-match ODI series against Ireland.
England will prepare for the Champions Trophy in June by hosting Ireland for two matches to be played on May 5 and 7 which can hamper Buttler’s hopes of playing the full season for Mumbai Indians like he did last year.
However, the England vice-captain has said he is very much committed to playing for the Three Lions and insisted that playing for England is ‘a fantastic opportunity and a privilege’.
“End of the day, you want to play for England and represent England,” he said. “Obviously, the management will make the call on the players and the availability for the Ireland games. I understand that it is a tricky sort of situation – the IPL is a great experience but playing for England is obviously a fantastic opportunity and a privilege as well. It’s a tough question.”
“I think it is always going to be a little bit of an individual decision. I can only speak from my own experience; I think the IPL is probably the best cricket experience I’ve ever had. I’ve learnt as much, not just about T20 but about myself, about all forms of cricket, about what it takes to become a top cricketer. It’s only the best experience I’ve had as a cricketer,” he added.
The 26-year old also hopes to see more of his compatriots playing in the IPL.
“Whether other people will feel that, I don’t know. I could only have good things to say about it. So hopefully, from my point of view, there are more English guys involved in playing in these conditions, in front of these crowds, under the pressure of being overseas players. It can only stand you in good stead, looking forward to when you play for England, and when you play in different competitions and knockout competitions, I think it is a great experience to be part of,” Buttler concluded.