It was only two months ago that the ECB was keen on letting their players taking part in the Indian Premier League (IPL), as it was an opportunity for the England players to prepare for the WT20. However, ECB’s director of cricket Ashley Giles has claimed that England players might not participate in the second half of IPL 2021, should be it rescheduled later in the year. England has a pretty hectic schedule and Giles asserted that it will be the board’s priority to ensure that all players are fit and available for international duty.
AS per the quotes in ESPNCricinfo, Ashle Giles said, “We’re planning on the involvement of England players in England matches. So if those tours to Pakistan and Bangladesh [in September and October] are going ahead, I’d expect the players to be there. The New Zealand scenario was very different and NOCs [no objection certificates] were signed for full involvement in the IPL. None of us knows what a rearranged IPL looks like at the moment; where it’s going to be or when.”
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He further added, “But from when we start this summer against New Zealand, our program is incredibly busy. 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.”
The COVID-19 situation in the UK is improving quite rapidly in the recent past, but the England players will still be required to play all matches in the summer inside secure bubbles. The Three Lions will be locking horns with New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan in the next 4 months, and Giles hoped for the players to be allowed a bit more freedom.
Ashley Giles explained, “We think it’s probably unreasonable to expect that our players could be in bubbles all summer. We want to keep them in safe environments, obviously. But we are really aware of the importance for these guys, their time with loved ones, families in particular. That’s the balance we are trying to strike.
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He concluded, “We are hopeful this year that as we see society move a certain way, that we can move with it. It could be the case that we may start tighter, as society is right now, and look to release, as everything else does.”
