IPL passes on ‘unreliable’ Australians

USMAN Khawaja leads a starstudded list of Australian players who have had the door unceremoniously slammed in their face by India.

Cricket Australia’s strict World Cup preparations has prompted a fierce backlash from IPL powerbrokers who have largely black-listed Australia’s biggest name players for next year’s tournament.

Justin Langer will bring his 15-man World Cup squad in for a pre-tournament camp in May meaning Australian players would have to pull out of the final weeks’ of the IPL.

Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Adam Zampa, Ben McDermott, James Pattinson and Kane Richardson are all in the World Cup frame, but that has directly cost them at the auction table with India simply saying no to players who might not be available for the full tournament.

Steve Smith and David Warner have been retained by their IPL franchises, but this shapes as the lowest participation rate ever by Australians in the world’s premier Twenty20 league.

Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell have made themselves unavailable to focus on their international ambitions, while it’s understood Australian fast bowlers are on the nose with franchise bosses and may struggle to attract interest again in the future even after World Cup season has passed.

Australia have a reputation for pulling their bowlers out at the slightest niggle and Indian bosses have hinted that they are fed up with the unreliability.

There are several high-profile Australians like Ricky Ponting, Tom Moody and Simon Katich coaching in the IPL but that hasn’t stopped the interest cooling in green and gold stars.

Khawaja is in the potentially frustrating predicament of not being in the current ODI team or having an IPL deal.

Moises Henriques and Ashton Turner were the only two Australians picked up in the IPL auction, while seven were overlooked.

Henriques received an offer in the first round for around $200,000 Australian by Kings XI Punjab. Turner will join Smith at the Rajasthan Royals for $100,000.