Heather Knight has become the first England player to pull out of WPL 2024 due to national commitments. And many more could follow suit as the England women’s team face New Zealand in the same window. But that could only be a start. IPL 2024 could face the same exodus due to the ENG vs PAK T20 series in May. Even though the series starts only on May 22, it will be a crucial practice series ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024.
And as England cricketers would be a long time away from home, many could choose to opt out of IPL 2024. However, BCCI still believes, most of the England players will stay back for IPL. And the Indian board hasn’t heard anything officially from the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
“We haven’t heard anything from the ECB on the lines of pull-outs. Yes, there will be player-specific workload management and the ECB will be in touch with the franchises on that front. But nothing on the pullouts. We expect most of the players to play the entire IPL 2024,” a senior BCCI official told InsideSport.
Why England players could give IPL 2024 a miss
- England Test series ends on March 12 and IPL 2024 begins 10 days later. IPL will be followed by T20 World Cup 2024 in USA and West Indies. England players will then tour West Indies for a three-match Test series in July.
- Hence, England will have a lot of travelling in these six months.
- Mark Wood and Jonny Bairstow are two all-format players and would have spent six months on tours if they play the full IPL.
- IPL 2024 final will likely be on May 26, giving the two England stars barely any time to be at home as T20 World Cup begins on June 1.
- The bigger question is ENG vs PAK T20 series which will coincide with IPL playoffs.
- ECB would want to recall their best players before the T20 World Cup.
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Punjab Kings will suffer the most. Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran and Chris Woakes are all likely to play in the ENG vs PAK T20 series. Therefore, they could withdraw from at least the last week of IPL 2024.
Similarly, Rajasthan Royals’ Jos Buttler, the captain of the white-ball teams, is already under pressure after a lacklustre ODI World Cup. And he could focus on national commitments before T20 World Cup.
England Players in IPL 2024
Moeen Ali (CSK), Jos Buttler (RR), Jason Roy (KKR), Mark Wood (LSG), Jonny Bairstow (PBKS), Liam Livingstone (PBKS), Sam Curran (PBKS), Reece Topley (RCB), Will Jacks (RCB), Gus Atkinson (KKR), David Willey (LSG), Tom Curran (RCB), Tom Kohler-Cadmore (RR), Chris Woakes (PBKS), Harry Brook (DC)
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