English players shouldn’t miss national duty to feature in the IPL, says Michael Atherton: After a horrendous show in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22, the England cricket team has received widespread criticism for their poor show in the historic series. England playing against their traditional rivals, bowed down in just three matches as the series gets done and dusted in the hands of the Aussies.
England are three down in the series, leaving a poor appearance with their horrible test cricket performance in the initial three matches. The entire cricket fraternity has criticised the side for losing the series even before it started.
Australia have already bagged the Ashes 2021-22 with two more games due. The hosts convincingly exposed the visitor’s weaknesses and didn’t give a chance to reflect back.
Michael Atherton, former England captain, reckons that English players should continue to play international cricket and shouldn’t prioritise playing in the cash-rich IPL.
“Players should not miss international duty to play in the IPL, nor be rested and rotated to allow them to play elsewhere. The carry-on during the winter, and at the start of the English summer, should not happen again,” England former skipper Michael Atherton wrote in his column for ‘The Times’.
He also wrote that the all-format players for England get a handsome seven-figure salary but ECB, for two months, washes its hands due to the IPL.
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“The leading multi-format players are paid seven-figure sums, but, incredibly, the ECB washes its hands of them for two months of the year during the Indian Premier League.”
ECB should keep its best interest in mind:
He advised the England Cricket Board (ECB) to provide a No Objection Certificate to the players keeping England’s best interest in mind.
“The players should be told that, while the ECB will be accommodating of the request to play in the IPL, a 12-month contract is exactly that, and the granting of a no-objection certificate to play in the IPL and other franchised competitions is contingent on it being in the best interests of the England team,” Atherton said.
Several England star cricketers have been a regular feature of the elite Indian Premier League (IPL). The players are given a handsome sum to ply their trade in the league by their respective franchises.
Players like Moeen Ali and Jos Buttler have been retained by their respective teams ahead of the IPL 2022 and will take part in the league.
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