CA will back Australian players who don’t want to return to India for IPL: Report

Australian players who have returned home after the suspension of the IPL and don’t want to return to India for the remainder of the high-profile tournament will get support from Cricket Australia, according to a media report here. All the Australian players in various IPL teams have already reached home. Only some former players like Ricky Ponting and Brad Haddin, who are among the coaching staff, are still in India. Other coaches, including Justin Langer and Mike Hussey, have also landed back due to border tensions between India and Pakistan. But the players may be asked to return as the IPL is set to resume within this week after the announcement of ceasefire on Saturday.

“Shaken Australian players will be defended by Cricket Australia should they refuse to return to the Indian Premier League on safety grounds,” the ‘Sydney Morning Herald’ declared.

“Fear and anxiety remained prevalent emotions among Australian players … as all made their way home from the IPL, leaving the likes of Ricky Ponting and Brad Haddin among coaching staff still in India.”

Not just safety issues, the players are also concerned about the prospect of “being pressured to return to the tournament and then frozen out of future editions of the IPL should they choose not to”.

“In that light…CA will defend the rights of players to make their own calls about returning to the IPL on a case by case basis, taking the view that their decisions should not be held against them for the future,” the report said. There is also the issue of a tight cricket calendar and if the IPL continues beyond the originally planned May 24. All the Australian players would require fresh “no objection” certificates from CA in order to return, the report said. Test players such as Travis Head, Mitchell Starc, captain Pat Cummins and fellow fast bowler Josh Hazlewood are to spend a few days at home before flying to the UK ahead of the World Test Championship final at Lord’s against South Africa.

That match will be immediately followed by a three-Test tour of the West Indies.