England stars may miss rest of IPL
London – England stars such as Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler have been told their international commitments will have to take precedence in the event of a fresh fixture clash with a delayed finish to this year’s Indian Premier League.
The 2021 edition of the lucrative franchise Twenty20 tournament was suspended last week due to the devastating coronavirus outbreak in India.
There is speculation the IPL may resume midway through September, which could lead to a clash with England whiteball tours of Pakistan and Bangladesh that are meant to take place between the end of the home season and a T20 World Cup in India scheduled for October.
Halting he IPL has left England with a potentially larger player pool than they envisaged for next month’s two-Test series at home to New Zealand.
Previously, the England and Wales Cricket Board had been prepared to let players miss those matches in order to honour their previously agreed IPL deals.