Top Australian and England players, who have been debating over participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) during the Ashes, have a few more days to make up their minds. Following recent changes in the IPL timeline, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has extended the deadline up to January 20 for enrolment in the mega auction, scheduled for February 12 and 13 in Bangalore.
Players like Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, who could be big draws at the auction, are believed to be getting cold feet towards the tournament. Root has already clarified that he would not be taking part.
"I didn't (give name for auction), no, I think that there's a lot that we need to do for this team, which deserves all of my energy. I really hope I get the opportunity to do it. I'll keep sacrificing as much as I can because I care so much about Test cricket in our country and trying to get us to where we can," the England captain said after the fifth and final Ashes Test in Hobart on Sunday (January 16). There are doubts about Stokes too. He did not respond to a query from Cricbuzz.
The Australians too are seriously weighing in the options. The dilemma among them is whether they can withstand the bubble environment for close to 22 weeks till July when their current spell of non-stop cricket winds up. All format players, mainly like Cummins and Starc, are having second thoughts owing to the ceaseless cricket that started in December.
With the Ashes over, Australia are now set to host New Zealand (three ODIs and one T20I from January 30 to February 8) and Sri Lanka (five T20Is from February 11 to 20) before leaving for Pakistan on February 23. The month-long Pakistan (three Tests, three ODIs and one T20I) tour followed by two months of IPL and then a tour to Sri Lanka for two Tests and five ODIs in June and July.
