Cricket Australia has stated that players with IPL contracts will be free to return to their teams when the competition resumes next month, with the goal of utilising the competition as a warm-up for the T20 World Cup.
The return of a major number of the 20 Australians with IPL contracts is expected, while Pat Cummins will be absent owing to the birth of his first child. Steven Smith’s availability will be contingent on his rehabilitation from an elbow injury that forced him to miss the West Indies and Bangladesh tours.
Franchises would be able to call on players who had previously withdrew from the event when it began in India provided they make themselves accessible, it was confirmed on Saturday. As a result, it’s possible that Josh Hazlewood (Chennai Super Kings), Mitchell Marsh (Sunrisers Hyderabad), and Josh Philippe (Royal Challengers Bangalore) will return.
Due to bubble fatigue, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, and Daniel Sams were unable to participate in the recent Australia tours after being part of the contingent of Australians forced to travel home via the Maldives when the IPL was suspended in May due to border closures.
Although not all Australian players with IPL clubs will be selected for the T20 World Cup, Ricky Ponting, the head coach of the Delhi Capitals, stated on Saturday that he believes it is the best warm-up.
He told SEN radio that “there’s no doubt it’s their finest preparation, playing in those precise conditions in perhaps the strongest domestic T20 tournament in the world.”
Due to the complications of travel arrangements and the difficulty of finding a suitable location, an ODI series against Afghanistan that had been planned to be squeezed in before the World Cup has been postponed. It was originally planned to take place in India, with Sri Lanka as a backup option.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) will, however, continue to consider hosting a tri-series with Australia and the West Indies as a warm-up for the World Cup.
Finding a break in the calendar for warm-up matches may be difficult, but with the T20 World Cup’s first round due to take place in Oman, there may be a small opportunity for teams moving straight into the Super 12 stage after the IPL final on October 16.
The IPL will also coincide with the opening of the Australian domestic season, albeit because to the Covid-19 crisis in the country, it is unclear whether that will happen on time.
The IPL also cut short the first half of the previous domestic season, with the competition taking place between late September and early November.
Glenn Maxwell, Dan Christian, Kane Richardson, Josh Philippe, Adam Zampa, Daniel Sams (RCB); Moises Henriques, Riley Meredith, Jhye Richardson (Punjab Kings); Jason Behrendorff, Josh Hazlewood (Chennai Super Kings); Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn (Mumbai Indians); Pat Cummins, Ben Cutting (Kolkata Knight Riders); (Rajasthan Royals)