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 and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to allay the concerns that the players may have about returning to India.
All 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. 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 told PTI on Tuesday.
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.
Team officials, on the other hand, told PTI that some of the foreign players remain anxious to return but the majority of them should come back before the tournament resumes.
“The revised schedule 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.
Stoinis unlikely to return; Cummins set to fly back
At Punjab Kings, Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis and compatriot Josh Inglis may not return to India though head coach Ricky Ponting is trying his best to convince them.
Fellow Aussies Xavier Bartlett and Aaron Hardie along with Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai and South African Marco Jansen are expected to return.
The team is on course to reach its first play-off since 2014.
Ponting has already walked the talk by de-boarding from a home-bound plane after the ceasefire announcement last week. The team’s support staff, including Brad Haddin and James Hopes, never left India.
The players of Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals made a rather anxious road and train journey from Dharamsala to Delhi after the May 8 game in the picturesque town was called off midway due to the air raid alerts in neighbouring border areas.
“The foreign players were scared at that time, and understandably so. The BCCI showed that the safety of the players is paramount by ensuring they all got back home safely.
“Now the situation has got better, the players should return. However, some of them still remain on the edge,” said an IPL official.
Like CSK, Sunrisers Hyderabad are also eliminated from the competition but the franchise is expecting captain Pat Cummins and Travis Head to return for the remaining three league games.
“We are confident that majority of foreign players will return including the captain,” said a team official.
Delhi Capitals, who remain in contention for a top-four spot, contacted their overseas players on Tuesday morning and are waiting to hear back from them. Australian pacer Mitchell Starc is among DC’s key players.
“We hope that all of them return. We will know more by tomorrow,” said a team official.
The IPL final originally scheduled for May 25 has been pushed back to June 3.
The World Test Championship final between Australia and South Africa is scheduled from June 11 at the Lord’s, leaving very little turnaround time for the Australians and South Africans who decide to take part in the IPL play-offs.
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