England's Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow Withdraw From IPL 2021 Phase 2: Report

Jonny Bairstow has been the regular opening choice for Sunrisers Hyderabad ever since he joined the team in 2019, while Dawid Malan was bagged in IPL 2021 Auction by Punjab Kings

New Delhi: According to a report in Cricbuzz, England cricket team's two big star players Johnny Bairstow and Dawid Malan have decided to withdraw from IPL 2021 Phase 2, scheduled to be played from September 19. The news comes as a major blow for Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings.

Bairstow has been the regular opening choice for Sunrisers Hyderabad ever since he joined the team in 2019, while Malan was bagged in IPL 2021 Auction by Punjab Kings and he played just one match for the franchise in IPL 2021 Phase 1.The shocking news comes just after BCCI and ECB jointly decided to cancel Ind vs Eng 5th Test due to Coronavirus scare.

Some other England players like Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes had earlier announced to not participate in IPL 2021 phase 2. This was a big blow to Rajasthan Royals. Jos Buttler decided to not take part in the tournament citing personal reasons. On the other hand, Stokes has taken an indefinite break from cricket citing mental health. Jofra Archer is still recovering from an injury.

Meanwhile, to ensure everyone's safety, BCCI along with VPS Healthcare has arranged for 30,000 RT-PCR tests to be conducted on players, support staff, and others associated with the tournament. Unlike the first phase of the IPL, when the tests were done after every five days, the remaining IPL will conduct an RT-PCR test on each player after every third day, PTI reported. 

“Our team is completely equipped to take care of the medical needs of the IPL participants. The UAE has a good strike rate in seamlessly conducting high-profile sports events during the pandemic. Even in these challenging times, the country is setting new benchmarks in expertly managing international sporting tournaments through its state-of-the-art stadiums, watertight measures, and well-trained personnel," Dr. Shajir Gaffar, CEO of VPS Healthcare (Dubai and Northern Emirates) told PTI.