Reports | Cricket Australia to allow players take their decision on IPL
According to a report, Cricket Australia have given the liberty to their players to have the final say with respect to playing in the IPL. Foreign players' participation in this year's IPL has now become tricky after the Indian government tightened travel restrictions due to the coronavirus scare.
Australian players were in the dark on Thursday over their participation in this year's IPL after the Indian government tightened travel restrictions into the country due to coronavirus fears. The IPL Governing Council, meanwhile, will meet on Saturday to discuss the viability of hosting the T20 League amidst the threat of COVID-19. Cricket Australia (CA) has said the final decision, at this point, rests with the players and their respective franchises.
"The IPL is not affiliated with CA as a separate competition featuring individual Australian players, whose contracts are directly with their franchises. From a CA perspective, we continue to monitor the situation, particularly looking at the advice provided by DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) and other relevant government agencies, including the Australian Institute of Sport, which has outlined a coordinated approach for all Australian sports,” said a communications manager with Cricket Australia Board as quoted by Sportstar.
As on Thursday early evening, Australia has more than 150 confirmed cases of coronavirus. India has 73. To add more misery for the Aussie team, one spectator at Sunday night's Women's Twenty20 World Cup final was diagnosed with COVID-19 but health authorities said there was a low risk of that person transmitting the disease to those nearby. The person was sitting in bay N42 on the second level of the Northern Stand. CA has been consulting with infectious disease experts and is following advice from DFAT and other government agencies. Australian players were waiting on Thursday to be briefed by CA.Â
"We aren’t in a position to comment at this stage particularly given we’ve not received any advice from India/IPL team. Cricket Australia has not made any comment in relation to this. I think it’s too early," he added.
Out of the 338 players who went into the IPL 2020 auction, only 62 succeeded in finding a franchise, with all teams filling up their eight overseas spots. It was a windfall for the Australians, led by Pat Cummins (KKR) who became the most expensive overseas buy in IPL history at Rs 15.5 crore. Glenn Maxwell (KXIP) and Nathan Coulter-Nile (Mumbai Indians) too landed million-dollar deals. With as many as 13 Australians being signed, their absence could take the gloss off the IPL, should the tournament go ahead as planned without the overseas recruits.
Meanwhile, The Australian men's team is due to play the first game of the three-match Chappell-Hadlee series against New Zealand in Sydney on Friday, before travelling across the Tasman for a Twenty20 campaign.
