Where does your loyalty lie? This question will be raised soon. Australia’s men’s cricket team’s assistant coach, Daniel Vettori, could choose to skip the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Perth and instead attend the India Premier League (IPL) mega auction in Jeddah. Vettori, who’s also Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) head coach, was able to do both jobs at once last year, but this time, it won’t be possible.
IPL auction clash with Perth Test
The India vs Australia 1st Test clashes with the IPL auction in Saudi Arabia. While the match goes on from November 22-26, the auction will take place on November 24-25. This would force Vettori and Cricket Australia (CA) to make a choice.
Vettori’s deal
According to Vettori’s deal with CA, he has to make himself available for a particular number of days. This gives the former New Zealand skipper the flexibility to work in franchise leagues, the IPL and the Hundred, alongside his main gig as Australian assistant coach.
Jeddah or Perth?
According to The Age, CA haven’t made a decision yet. As of November 13 (today), it’s unsure whether Vettori will stay with the team or leave. This just goes to show that the power dynamics have completely shifted in cricket. You wouldn’t expect CA to employ someone who would treat them like a second-hand citizen not too long ago, but now the landscape has changed.
No one would be shocked to see Vettori on SRH‘s auction table. Heck, even some of the cricketers might be more focused on the IPL mega auction than the Perth Test.
Ponting & Langer to join Vettori?
Vettori won’t be the only one leaving, though. Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer are also expected to travel to Jeddah for the auction. Both the former Australian cricketers have signed a deal with the Seven Network for the BGT 2024-25, but as coaches of the Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants, they are expected to be present in Saudi Arabia and therefore skip at least two days of the Perth Test.
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