PAK vs ENG: England players set to skip Pakistan T20I series to make themselves available for IPL 2024 playoffs

The BCCI and the ECB are negotiating the availability of England's white-ball players for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 playoffs. England players like Jos Buttler and Phil Salt might miss the upcoming four-match T20I series against Pakistan to be available for the playoffs of the Indian T20 tournament.

As the ongoing T20 tournament has crossed the halfway mark, teams are competing for a spot in the top four. Rajasthan Royals (RR) lead the points table, closely followed by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The teams almost sealed their playoff berth, while other teams are competing for the remaining places.

The IPL playoffs are set to take place from May 21 to May 26 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The playoffs schedule coincides with England's four-match T20I series against Pakistan at home. This scheduling clash poses a challenge for English players who are part of both competitions.

The ECB clarified that players selected for the T20 World Cup would have to return to national duty for the home series against Pakistan, starting on May 22. England's team managing director, Rob Key, stated that captain Jos Buttler advocated for English players to withdraw from the IPL playoffs.

"Selected players, currently playing in the Indian Premier League, will return in time for the series against Pakistan, which gets underway at Headingley on Wednesday 22 May 2024," the statement read.

Franchises Are In No Mood To Release Their England Players

According to a report in the Times of India, franchises are in no mood to release their English players at this stage, as the ECB had previously assured their players' availability for the entire duration of the tournament before the IPL auction in December last year.

"The franchises are in no mood to release their England players at this stage of the tournament, as they had planned accordingly at the auction. Talks are on between the BCCI and the ECB to resolve this issue," a source was quoted as saying by TOI. 

"Yes, the BCCI has taken it up (with the ECB). I hope the ECB keeps their commitment they made before the auction. This type of ad-hoc withdrawal of players will come with consequences," another source added.

ECB Announce England's T20 World Cup Squad

The ECB recently revealed a 15-member squad for both the Pakistan series and the T20 World Cup, which includes Buttler, Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Moeen Ali, Reece Topley, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, and Liam Livingstone. However, these players' teams are still in contention for the IPL 2024 playoffs.

England's squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup: Jos Buttler (c/wk), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, and Mark Wood.

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