Michael Vaughan gives smashing reply to Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan’s criticism of England players leaving IPL 2024

Former England cricketer Michael Vaughan came up with a thrashing reply to Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan’s criticism of England players leaving the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He feels that the schedule of the tournament wasn’t great as it got too late.

Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises dealt a massive blow in the last week of the league stage of the tournament. England players were called back by the England and Wales Cricket Board as they wanted them to be available for the international fixtures.

England are slated to face Pakistan in the four-match T20I series from the 22nd May. The series will be extremely crucial for the team as it will serve as a great preparation for them ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024, which will begin on 1st June.

ECB wanted all their players to get some game time ahead of the World Cup and hence they called them back. But this has left a massive void for the IPL franchises, especially with the playoffs stage around the corner which will begin on 21st May.

Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan weren’t amazed by the England players leaving the IPL. While Gavaskar asked for a penalty, Pathan said that such players should play for a full season or not play at all.

Michael Vaughan however feels that England players leaving the IPL for international cricket was fair enough. He said that with what happened with the team in the 2023 World Cup, it was a must for them to get the squad together and work on a bit of culture. Speaking on Cricbuzz, he explained:

“If you are going back to represent your country, which England players have done, I think that's fair enough. The series was on the calendar. With English cricket, the defence of the 50-over World Cup was a poor one by England here in India.

“So I think, Jos and his team, 5 games against Pakistan, they get together.The actual lead-up to the 50-over World Cup wasn't perfect either. There were a lot of swaps and changes. They have now gone back to 5 matches, get all the squad together, work on a bit of culture, everyone playing their right roles, 1 think it will give them a better chance.”

I think they would have thought it would have finished today - Michael Vaughan on England players leaving IPL

Michael Vaughan further blamed the schedule of the IPL for the exit of England players from the league ahead of the playoffs. He said that ahead of the tournament ECB would’ve thought that tournament would end by 19th May. He added:

"Because the schedule is always so late, I think England would have planned for that. I think they would have thought it would have finished today (May 19). Players would have gone back.

“Players that were playing today's final would have stayed, those weren't, wouldn't have disappeared and England would have played the 5 games (against Pakistan) with a full-strength squad.”

Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals), Will Jacks, and Reece Topley (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), Phil Salt (Kolkata Knight Riders) will be missing the playoffs of the league.