Reports | Cricket Australia to re-evaluate IPL contracts amidst coronavirus outbreak

Cricket Australia was the latest to join as one of the boards to cancel all games in the wake of the widespread coronavirus outbreak. On Tuesday, the Australian board cancelled the Sheffield Shield and announced New South Wales as the winner, as did New Zealand Cricket on Monday, announcing the Wellington Firebirds as the champions of the Plunket Shield season. In fact, the PCB was forced to cancel the final rounds of the PSL as well.

And now, the next on the list of concerns is the IPL, which has been pushed to April 15. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Australian cricketers may have to relinquish their big-money IPL contracts, according to what their local media reported. 

The pandemic in India is alarming with 120 positive cases and three deaths reported so far. So to follow what Kevin Roberts has suggested, Cricket Australia might be looking into its players’ contracts before allowing them, amongst other factors, to participate in the biggest T20 league in the world.

"We can provide advice. We're conscious of the fact that Australian players are individually contracted to the IPL and the time will certainly come very soon where players are going to be really interested and leaning on our perspective as their leader... to advise them in that regard," Roberts was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

"And then there will also be a perspective from the BCCI and their IPL division within that and together with our players and the BCCI, I am sure players will reach the best possible decisions in uncertain circumstances."

Besides the IPL, wherein 17 Aussie cricketers have been showered with lucrative contracts this year, the CA will also have to take a call ahead of The Hundred in the UK.