The IPL is an obvious concern for me, states Faf Du Plessis

01/03/2019

Ahead of the ICC ODI World Cup this year, South African skipper Faf Du Plessis has expressed his concerns regarding the timing of this year’s IPL which could prove as a risk factor for players. Du Plessis also added that it was important to manage players’ workload in order to prevent injuries.

The schedule of the 2019 IPL season is still unclear as the Indian governing body are still assessing their options in order to come up with the best possible venues keeping in mind the elections preceding the 2019 ICC ODI World Cup. The tournament has been likely to be scheduled on foreign soil, at least partially.

But South Africa skipper, Faf Du Plessis, has revealed his concerns ahead of the 2019 season of the extravagant tournament citing injury concerns to players as a major risk factor before the all-important World Cup that is scheduled to be held in England and Wales later this year.

"The obvious one for me is the IPL. With Dale , or KG or any other bowlers, in terms of workload, the World Cup is still quite a while away. Probably you'll see that closer to the World Cup we'll think about stuff like [managing workloads]," Du Plessis told ESPNCricinfo.

Du Plessis who featured regularly for the Chennai Super Kings outfit under MS Dhoni last year, will be able to keep a close eye on Imran Tahir and Lungi Ngidi, both of whom have been retained by the franchise. Meanwhile, premier pacer Kagiso Rabada has been retained by the Delhi Capitals along with all-rounder Chris Morris. While veteran pacer Dale Steyn was not picked by any franchise, young fast-bowler Anrich Nortje picked up his first IPL contract with Kolkata Knight Riders.

The Proteas skipper for all the three formats also added that player workload and the fitness of his fast bowlers for the World Cup is on his mind but he is focussing more on the present condition of the national team.

"That's certainly something that's always at the back of my head. I can only speak from a personal point of view. You're continuously thinking about the decisions, and stuff that will impact that. But it's also important to stay in the present. If you look at the World Cup the whole time, you'll lose sight of what's going on in front of you. So there is that little bit of thinking ahead, but unfortunately, it's too far out to start making decisions now that will impact then," Du Plessis added.

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