When the dates of the Pakistan Super League were announced, overlapping to a great extent with those of the Indian Premier League, there was going to be only one winner in this mismatch. This year, the IPL is also expected to impact international cricket involving Pakistan.
More than one player has ditched the PSL to become part of the biggest domestic T20 league in the world, under some pretext or the other. The former could do little else than cry foul and ban those players for a certain period.
Corbin Bosch joined Mumbai Indians last year as a replacement player, ditching Peshawar Zalmi, and was candid enough to admit that the decision was taken with an eye on his long-term career prospects, and he accepted the fine and a one-year ban from the IPL.
This year, Zimbabwean pacer Blessing Muzarabani joined Kolkata Knight Riders despite, according to the PSL, a verbal agreement to join Islamabad United. Apart from better monetary and career prospects in the IPL, Muzarabani claimed he had not received any formal contract from PSL. Nevertheless, he was banned from the tournament for two years.
Now, with Pakistan’s limited-overs home series against Australia scheduled to begin the day before the IPL final, it’s highly likely that some of the biggest players in the ODI world champion side will not make the trip, according to a report in cricket.com.au.
The three ODIs will be played in Rawalpindi and Lahore on May 30, June 2 and 4, with the IPL final scheduled for May 31 in Ahmedabad. Australia captain Pat Cummins, Travis Head (both Sunrisers Hyderabad) and Josh Hazlewood (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) are almost certain to miss the series in Pakistan.
Mitchell Starc’s Delhi Capitals still has a slim chance of making the IPL Playoffs. The regular season ends on May 24 while the Australian squad is scheduled to land in Pakistan the previous day. After the Pakistan tour, the Aussies will travel to Bangladesh for an ODI and T20 series beginning June 9.
Other Australian players whose teams are still in the running for the IPL Playoffs include Cooper Connolly, Xavier Bartlett, Mitchell Owen and Ben Dwarshuis (all Punjab Kings), Spencer Johnson and Matthew Short (Chennai Super Kings) and Tim David (RCB). Others such as Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis (both Lucknow Super Giants) and Cameron Green (Kolkata Knight Riders) represent teams that are, more or less, out of the playoff race.
But it remains to be seen whether even those players whose involvement in the IPL ends before the playoffs or who don’t feature regularly for their teams will be released by their franchises. Even those who are let go may choose that period to rest, recover and recuperate after a hectic season. After all, Starc and Green are coming off injury layoffs and Marsh is never too far from breaking down.
