England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has asked for their T20 World Cup bound players to return from the Indian Premier League for the home series against Pakistan. The two teams are set to face each other in four T20Is starting from May 22 ahead of the mega event.
Players like Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow , Will Jacks, Sam Curran, Reece Topley are some of the key England players featuring in IPL 2024 but have also been picked for the World Cup. The absence of these players, specifically Jos Buttler of Rajasthan Royals and Phil Salt of Kolkata Knight Riders would be a big loss for their teams. While KKR have already qualified for the playoffs, RR are on the verge.
Reacting to the matter, Sunil Gavaskar has criticised ECB for its stance. According to the former India cricketer, IPL franchises should deduct some amount from the salaries of the players as compensation for sudden departures. He also felt that the BCCI should also not give the commission to the cricket boards which they get for letting players play in the IPL.
"I am all for players choosing a country before anything else, but having assured various franchises about their availability for the full season, if they pull out now, it will be letting down the franchises. The franchises should not only be allowed to deduct a substantial amount from the fee that the player was bought for, but also not give the Board, to which the player belongs, the stated 10 per cent commission of the fee that each player gets,” he wrote in his column for Mid Day.
Gavaskar also pointed out that the cricket boards get commission only in the IPL and not in other leagues. "If the Board has gone back on its assurance they need to be penalized too. This 10 percent commission to the Boards happens only in the IPL and nowhere else. Does the BCCI get any thanks for its generosity? No way," Gavaskar said in relation to the need for transparency and accountability.
