The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has allowed its players to be part of the IPL when it resumes in the UAE on September 19 but they could miss its business end if their proposed tour of Pakistan does happen.
“With respect to the IPL, we are going to have discussions with all our players and with the postponement of the Bangladesh tour, it provides an opportunity for players to potentially present themselves for the IPL. Players are going to manage their schedule because we have a busy winter and that comes on the end of a busy summer. Those discussions are underway but obviously on a case-by-case basis, those decisions will be made with the players,” ECB chief executive Tom Harrison said in response to a query from The Telegraph on Thursday.
The two T20Is in Pakistan are scheduled for October 14 and 15. The IPL final is set for October 15.
“We expect to go to Pakistan for our T20I series before the T20 World Cup. That will be the first time England will be in Pakistan since 2004. It is very important for us strategically because teams are starting to go back to Pakistan and we fully want to show our support towards a fellow member of the ICC,” he said.
Harrison didn’t wish to get into the debate of whether the T20 format or The Hundred should be considered if cricket is made part of the Olympics from 2028 onwards, saying it was for the ICC “to think about” it.
Harrison, however, didn’t agree that the BCCI, along with ECB and Cricket Australia, should have more power in the running of the ICC since the maximum revenue is generated when these countries engage in a bilateral series.
“The ICC needs to represent its membership as a global governing body. There are some realities that face the world, certainly around India’s influence and economic strength in the game of cricket which is unlike any other major sport. That is a fundamental reality, but the ICC’s responsibility is towards all its members... it is important we get that right and we are able to continue to grow cricket. This is where the definition of fairness can be argued.”
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