IPL 2022: BCCI's SOS to Graeme Smith for release of SA cricketers for IPL

IPL 2022 – BCCI’s SOS to Graeme Smith: The IPL franchises, BCCI are getting very jittery now on the availability of South African cricketers for IPL 2022. After franchises requested BCCI to intervene, the Sourav Ganguly led board has sought clarity from CSA chief Graeme Smith on the issue. Proteas home series against Bangladesh has complicated the situation as the series will run out till April 12. Follow IPL 2022 Live Updates on InsideSport.IN

“The BCCI will be approaching Graeme Smith and check out if some of the top players are available at least a bit earlier. We are hopeful of a solution as we share great rapport with CSA. Some of the franchises will be hurt if they aren’t available for three weeks,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

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IPL 2022: BCCI reaches out to Graeme Smith for clarity on SA players availability in IPL, decision this week – Follow Live Updates

South African cricketers IPL 2022: Delhi Capitals could be doubly hurt as Anrich Nortje hasn’t bowled a lot since November and it’s not clear if CSA’s medical team will give him clearance to play in the Indian Premier League.

Some of the top South African cricketers are in danger of missing out on three weeks of IPL due to their home series against Bangladesh which includes three ODI and two Tests starting March 18 and ending on April 12.

Save for Quinton de Kock, who has retired from Test cricket and will play for Lucknow Supergiants, there is no certainty on whether Proteas pace attack of Kagiso Rabada (Punjab Kings), Nortje (DC), Marco Jansen (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Lungi Ngidi (DC) will be available before the Test series against Bangladesh ends.

Add to it, there is Dwayne Pretorius, Rassie van der Dussen, Auden Markram, David Miller. Faf du Plessis has already retired from international cricket.

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IPL 2022: BCCI reaches out to Graeme Smith for clarity on SA players availability in IPL, decision this week – Follow Live Updates

During the third wave of Covid-19 pandemic and rising cases of Omicron variant in South Africa, the BCCI had continued with its A tour and then sent the senior team for three Tests followed by three ODIs.

While PTI had sent a formal query to CSA, it is learnt that no concrete policy decision has been taken yet.

Test captain Dean Elgar was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying that it’s a tricky call between loyalty for the national team and riches that come with IPL.

“The players need to give Cricket South Africa an indication of if they are keen to go to IPL or if they are keen to play for the Test side. It’s a bit of a tough one putting that in the players’ box but this I guess, this is where you see where players’ loyalty lies,” Elgar said.

“They must not forget that Test cricket or one-day cricket got them into the IPL and not the other way around.”

As of now, the CSA has announced its 18-member ODI squad for the Bangladesh series and while De Kock, Rabada, Markram, Ngidi, Jansen, Pretorius are part of the team, it doesn’t have Nortje.

IPL 2022: BCCI reaches out to Graeme Smith for clarity on SA players availability in IPL, decision this week – Follow Live Updates

Can Smith solve SA Players issue? The BCCI and CSA will have to work out a middle-of-the-road solution and there could be a possibility that some players leave after the first Test, which ends on March 4. Even then, the Test specialists, after three-day quarantine, will miss out on 12 days (nearly two weeks) which is effectively three IPL games at least.

While the BCCI may be dependent on Smith, the former skipper himself will be ending his tenure on March 31 and his formal arbitration proceedings initiated by CSA on the basis of the findings of Social Justice and Nation Building chair Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza that Smith and Mark Boucher’s appointments were “procedurally flawed” has begun.

It is understood that once Smith’s tenure ends, CSA will put up formal advertisement for the job but whether the former skipper will reapply isn’t clear.