New Delhi: Former England captain Michael Atherton reckoned that the England players will not risk a showdown with their principal employer regarding playing in the now postponed IPL 2021 despite the potential loss of income. “It is unlikely that the players will risk a showdown with their principal employer over this, despite the potential loss of income,” Atherton wrote in his column for The Times. Earlier, England’s director of cricket Ashley Giles had stressed on the fact that players from England will find it difficult to participate in the IPL 2021 given their international schedule.
“There will be little appetite for returning to IPL this year, given the workload in front of the players in the English summer and the following winter. No one would want to jeopardise a chance of playing in the T20 World Cup or the Ashes, both of which would come swiftly on the back of a rescheduled IPL,” Atherton added.
Giles earlier said that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) expects full participation of England players in their upcoming international matches.
England are set to play Pakistan and Bangladesh in September and October followed by a T20 World Cup and Ashes right after which makes it very difficult for the players to participate in the IPL this year.
“We’re planning on the involvement of England players in England matches. We’ve got a full FTP schedule. So if those tours to Pakistan and Bangladesh [in September and October] are going ahead, I’d expect the players to be there,” Giles told British media here.