ECB Gives Big Statement On England Players' Future Participation In Re-Scheduled IPL

England players involved in the suspended IPL will be busy touring Bangladesh and Pakistan in September and October, while right after the T20 World Cup, they have to play against Australia in the Ashes.

Photo Courtesy: AFP

ECB Director of Cricket Ashley Giles on Tuesday said that eleven English players involved with various franchises in the suspended Indian Premier League, are unlikely to be available for the remainder of the tournament if the cash-rich T20 League is rescheduled in the year 2021.

After the suspension of IPL 14 due to multiple Covid-19 cases being reported inside its bio-bubble, there have been reports claiming that the T20 League can be resumed this year either before T20 World Cup (October-November) and second half of September or else after mid-November.

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However, England players involved in the suspended IPL will be busy touring Bangladesh and Pakistan in September and October, while right after the T20 World Cup, they have to play against Australia in the Ashes.

"We're planning on involvement of England players in England matches. We've got a full FTP schedule. So if those tours to Pakistan and Bangladesh are going ahead, I'd expect the players to be there," Giles said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

"None of us knows what a rearranged IPL looks like at the moment, where it's going to be or when. But from when we start this summer against New Zealand, our programme is incredibly busy," Giles said.

"We've got a lot of important, high-profile cricket including the T20 World Cup and the Ashes. And we're going to have to look after our players."

England players are likely to enter their latest bubble from around May 28. Giles said he hopes as the England summer progresses, players will be given a "a bit more freedom" from bio-bubbles. He also hinted that England might give chance to some new young cricketers against New Zealand.

"What we do know, and what's not going to change, is the weight of cricket. Given the Ashes series (this winter), we don't know what conditions that's going to be played in at the moment with regard to a Covid environment, but we are going to need a bigger group of players still," he said.

"We may also choose against New Zealand to look at some new faces. With the amount of other cricket we have to play, we almost want to get this tapering towards the Ashes. We have got to get that right.

"Is that against New Zealand? I don't know, that's something for us to continue to discuss."