Players preferring IPL over international cricket may not be worthy of selection, opines Shane Warne

Australian players will fly to West Indies to play five T20 Internationals and three One-Day Internationals with the tour beginning on July 9 starting with the shortest format first. However, the team received a blow when seven national players, including some of the senior players, withdrew themselves from the West Indies and Bangladesh tour.

It is unclear whether the players, who withdrew themselves, would go on and play for their respective franchises in the IPL, with the tournament resuming mid-way. Former Australian player Shane Warne, however, insisted that if any player has the desire for financial benefits then they are free to choose it but then they shouldn’t be worthy of being picked for the national team if they miss international matches. 

"I don't begrudge the players getting, it's fantastic. If they want to take the money, (let them) take it. But if you want to play cricket for your country and (still) you choose to play the IPL over your country, then maybe it's not worth picking those guys. Otherwise, this is going to happen, people are going to rest and miss Test matches and miss representing your country to go and play for money,” Warne said on the Road to Ashes podcast, reported India Today.

There were a total of 14 Australian players who participated in IPL 2021 which was suspended amid the surge in COVID-19 cases in India in the second wave. Warne said if a player wants to value his potential then it can come only at the international stage and if the player prefers money over international exposure, then he might be replaced since there is lots of talent in the country.

"It's pretty hard, you know if, someone says here's three million bucks and play for a short term or go over somewhere and play for six weeks being away from your family, it's a very easy decision to take that money. But if you value yourself as a cricketer and want to test yourself against the best, there's only one spot to do it and that’s international cricket, especially Test cricket," Warne asserted.

"If you want to choose the money, that's fine, no problem, but you might have to wait for a few Test matches and you might go down a few runs no matter how good you are because there's always someone that can replace you," he added.