Former England cricketer Michael Vaughan has come to the team’s defense after the players pulled out of the IPL 2024 midway to play Pakistan in a T20I series. The prominent English cricket players faced harsh criticism when they abruptly left their respective teams in the middle of the season. The Englishmen received harsh criticism from players like Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan for quitting the competition just before the playoffs.
Michael Vaughan believed that it was appropriate for the players to prioritize their country while speaking with Cricbuzz. He also mentioned that England needed to regroup before the T20 World Cup following their appalling performance in the ODI World Cup 2023. Meanwhile, Gavaskar had demanded a penalty for England players and Irfan asked the players to either play the full tournament or not participate at all. The defending champions will look to intensify their preparations for the T20 World Cup as they host Pakistan for a 5-match T20 Series, starting May 22, Wednesday.
As they battled it out in the postseason without their star players, all three teams—RR, KKR, and RCB—suffered severe blows. Phil Salt for KKR, Will Jacks for RCB, and Jos Buttler for RR. One of their best players on the league stage has been this individual.
Regarding the return of English players, Michael Vaughan stated, “I think that is fair enough.”
To fulfill their national obligations, the England players left the lucrative league before the pivotal playoff stage, an action for which Michael Vaughan stood by. The players, who would play a five-match T20I series against Pakistan, departed for England before the playoffs.
“If you are going back to represent your country, which England players have done, I think that’s fair enough. They are playing a series against Pakistan. The England players wouldn’t have gone back if it wasn’t for the Pakistan series,” said Michael Vaughan