IPL stars told to prioritise England

ASHLEY Giles will not allow England commitments to play second fiddle to a rearranged Indian Premier League should star men like Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler find themselves involved in a calendar clash.

The 2021 IPL was postponed last week as a result of the country’s coronavirus crisis, leaving 31 of the lucrative tournament’s matches unfulfilled and leading to speculation of a mid-September resumption.

That time-frame would be particularly tight for the competition’s England contingent, who have white-ball trips to Pakistan and Bangladesh slated between the end of the domestic summer and the T20 World

Cup in October.

The England and Wales Cricket Board had previously agreed to let IPL contracted players compete in a full season, even if that meant skipping next month’s home Tests against New

Zealand.

That decision attracted some criticism but hinged on the fact that the Black Caps series was a late addition to the fixture list – something which would not be a factor going forward. And Giles, managing director of England men’s cricket, has made it clear that the Three Lions will come first for the remainder of a year that culminates in an

Ashes tour Down Under.

“We’ve got a full future tours programme and if those tours are going ahead I’d expect them (IPL players) to be there,” he said.

“Our programme is incredibly busy and, within that, we’re going to have to look after our players.

“But we’ve got a lot of important high profile cricket including a T20 World Cup and Ashes, so we’re planning on the involvement of England players in England matches.”