Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should take strict action against players who leave the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) for national commitments.
Earlier it was reported that some England players will miss the IPL 2024 playoffs due to the T20I series against Pakistan starting on May 22.
While Gauskar understands that the country should always come before franchise cricket, he wants franchises to charge “significant fees” for players who have promised to be available for the full season but back out.
“I am in favor of the players choosing their country first, but if they come out now by assuring the various franchises about their availability for the full season, it will allow the franchise to pay more for the IPL season. We cannot make a profit for several seasons with the country ,” said Gavaskar.
“The franchise is not only allowed to reduce a significant amount of the player’s buyout fee, but each player’s Board is given 10 percent of each player’s fee.”
Note that the England Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that the selected players will return from the IPL to play the series against Pakistan.
“Selected players currently playing in the Indian Premier League will return for the match against Pakistan on 22 May 2024 at Headingley,” the ECB said in an earlier press release.
Gavaskar wants strict action against players leaving IPL for country
