IPL chairman Arun Dhumal offers insights into the abrupt exit of England players before the IPL 2024 playoffs, citing recent changes within the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as the cause. Arun Dhumal explains how these ECB alterations prompted several English cricketers to leave their IPL franchises prematurely, heading to join the national team for the upcoming T20 series against Pakistan, starting May 22.
Arun Dhumal, serving as the chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL), stands at the forefront of cricket administration in one of the world’s most prominent T20 leagues. With a background steeped in cricket governance and management, Dhumal brings a wealth of experience to his role. Under his guidance, the league has continued to evolve, embracing new technologies, engaging with global audiences, and fostering talent development initiatives.
The 2024 IPL playoffs saw a bit of a stir when several key England players left the tournament early to join their national team’s training camp ahead of a T20I series against Pakistan. This included star players like Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, and Reece Topley. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) recalled the players, sparking debate. Some, like former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, felt it was disrespectful to the IPL and their franchises to leave mid-playoffs. Others, like former England captain Michael Vaughan, defended the players, arguing national duty comes first.
What Arun Dhumal Said
In an interview with Sportstar, Arun Dhumal affirmed that there had been a promise that the English players would stay for the entire IPL season. However, a leadership change at the ECB resulted in unforeseen circumstances.
Dhumal said,
“It was given as a commitment that they will be available for the entire tournament. It was indeed very unfortunate with the way things happened this time around. We have had good discussions with the ECB and hopefully, it won’t happen again in the future. A few people who had earlier committed to this aren’t with the ECB now, but ideally, even if there was a change of guard, things should have happened the way it was planned,”
“Unfortunately, there was some change of guard at the ECB and so, the new people who took over did not know about the bilateral series they had planned, and they wanted to put their best team there. Due to that, the confusion arose,”
Sunil Gavaskar, a former Indian captain, has advocated for imposing penalties on players who depart midway through the IPL season.
Arun Dhumal added that usually players and their cricket boards work together, which has helped the IPL do well over the years. But, with many England players leaving recently, it’s affected three of the four playoff teams badly. KKR lost Phil Salt, who was a big help with the bat, and RCB will miss Will Jacks, who played a key role in their comeback during the second half of IPL 2024. While RR would certainly miss opener batsman Jos Buttler.
Dhumal concluded,
“We have always discussed with all the boards regarding the player availability and in case a player needs to go back due to genuine reasons, we allow that. They have been quite cooperative so far, so all the players and the Board are aligned with the success of this tournament and love being part of the IPL. We are also very thankful to the other Boards who have been equal partners in this IPL. Everyone understands their responsibilities. I don’t think apart from minor hiccups, there’s anything to worry about,”
The IPL 2024 playoffs began with KKR dominating SRH in Qualifier 1, securing victory by 8 wickets. Yesterday, RR and RCB faced off in the high-stakes Eliminator at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.