IPL 2020 | IPL is great but been there done that, reveals Chris Woakes

IPL 2020 | IPL is great but been there done that, reveals Chris Woakes

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English pace bowler Chris Woakes says the Indian Premier League is great but he has been there and done that as he decided to withdraw from the IPL 2020. The IPL could have been a chance for the right-arm fast bowler to get back into England's T20 side for the T20 World Cup in October.

English right-arm fast bowler Chris Woakes clarified that he didn'tĀ put his name in the IPL auction with an intention to pull out but had to after his workload. He believes that he has been there and done it but that it's impossible to do everything with a young family to tend to. The Birmingham cricketer said that the IPL is great, having played previously for Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore but it is not it all.Ā 

"The IPL is great but I've been there and done it. That's not to say I don't want to do it again but at this moment England is the most important thing to me, as well as spending time at home with the family where I can. You don't put yourself into these things intending to pull out. I went into the IPL auction hoping that I would get picked up, it's a great experience. But it's impossible to do everything,ā€ revealed Woakes, reported Cricbuzz.

Chris Woakes has revealed that his decision to withdraw from the IPL is down to a really hectic international calendar and his personal-need to recharge his batteries, which in turn will help him extend his England career. Woakes was picked by Delhi Capitals for INR 1.5 crores at the 2020 IPL auction.Ā 

"I want to play for England as long as possible - that's still the pinnacle for me. I just feel like I'd been on a bit of a treadmill and I needed to get off for a bit of a breather. From a mental point of view, it's about recharging those batteries. International cricket can be draining at the best of times because there's so much pressure on you to perform,ā€ said the pacer.Ā 

"There's always people knocking on the door and to stay on top of your game all year round is hard. The schedule has just got busier and busier - the only breaks you really get in international cricket are at IPL time," said Woakes.

With the T20 World Cup due later this year, IPL could have been a chance for Woakes to get back into England's T20 fold, at least in the reckoning after he lost his place in the build-up to the ODI World Cup, which England won. Woakes would have it no other way.

"If I felt like I had a real good opportunity to be in that T20 squad I'd probably still go to the IPL and try to produce some good form. (The selectors) know what I'm about and what I can do but realistically it'd probably take a few injuries for me to be in contention. I suppose I don't know the answer to why that happened. I think it happened gradually."

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