England’s Willey glad he made IPL ‘no-brainer’ move
london — England all-rounder David Willey has insisted playing in this year’s edition of the Indian Premier League was a “no-brainer” even if it put his county contract with Yorkshire at risk.
The 28-year-old is adamant he’s a better player for the experience of working under Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming, the former New Zealand captain, even though his stint with the IPL champions amounted to just three games.
Now Willey, the son of ex-Test batsman and former international umpire Peter Willey, is looking to put that experience to good use by helping England win their first
You don’t get the chance to go and play in the biggest Twenty20 competition in the world every day Willey, referring to the IPL
World Cup title when they stage the 2019 showpiece tournament.
A call to go to Chennai as an injury replacement came at the start of the English season and meant Willey missed several weeks of Yorkshire’s county campaign.
It was a move that angered the Headingley hierarchy, although he has since signed a new Yorkshire deal, but Willey, asked if it had been a difficult decision replied: “It was a no-brainer.
“You don’t get the chance to go and play in the biggest Twenty20 competition in the world every day.
“I was threatened with them ripping my contract up — which wasn’t great — but that has all been resolved now.”
Willey, however, said playing in the IPL had seen him learn “a lot from a tactical, mental and skill point of view” in a career that has so far yielded 36 one-day international appearances and 20 in Twenty20 internationals for England. —