Cricket Australia said on Tuesday that it would support its players’ “individual decisions” on returning to the IPL even as the resumption of the T20 tournament is set to clash with preparations for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The BCCI has decided to resume the IPL season across six venues from May 17 with the final slated for June 3.
The development leaves Australia’s and South Africa’s Test regulars in a dilemma as the WTC final between the two nations is slated to begin on June 11 at Lord’s.
“Following the announcement that the IPL will resume on Saturday, Cricket Australia will support players in their individual decisions whether to return to India or not,” CA said in a statement.
“The team management will work through the implications on the preparations for the World Test Championship final for those players who choose to play in the remaining IPL matches. “We are maintaining communication with the Australian government and the BCCI around security arrangements and safety,” it said.
According to the revised schedule, the tournament would end just eight days before the WTC final in London, where Australia face South Africa. In the wake of the unrest, several Australian players, including skipper Pat Cummins and fast bowler Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, have returned home.
Only a few former players like Ricky Ponting and Brad Haddin, who are part of coaching setups, remain in India. The other coaches, Justin Langer and Mike Hussey, have returned home.
Australian Test players playing in the IPL who are likely to be impacted include captain Cummins and Travis Head (both Sunrisers Hyderabad), Starc (Delhi Capitals) and Hazlewood (Royal Challengers Bengaluru).
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