Punjab Kings coach Sanjay Bangar blasts ECB and exposes their U-Turn on England players' IPL 2024 availability

Punjab Kings (PBKS) coach Sanjay Bangar opened up about the challenges his team faced following the unexpected departure of crucial England players for international duty during the crucial phase of the Indian Premier League 2024 (IPL 2024).

In a post-match press conference after Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) final league game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Bangar discussed the impact of losing key players from England on the team’s performance in the lucrative T20 league.

The PBKS coach revealed that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had initially assured that their players would be available for the entire IPL season, but the unexpected changes in the tournament schedule disrupted the team’s plans.

PBKS faced challenges in IPL 2024 after England players exit

Bangar explained that while planning for the auction, the PBKS team was confident about the availability of the England players for the entire season after the ECB's assurances. However, the extension of the ongoing IPL in 2024 due to various reasons made things complicated.

The likes of Sam Curran, Liam Livingston, and Jonny Bairstow left the PBKS camp to join the England camp ahead of the T20I series against Pakistan at home, and Bangar said that this put them in a challenging position as they had to adjust quickly to the absence of key players for the remaining IPL 2024 games.

The departure of the English players was a setback not only for the PBKS but also for other IPL teams facing similar issues, affecting their team dynamics and performance during the critical stages of the competition. Notably, PBKS suffered a four-wicket defeat against the SRH in their last IPL 2024 game.

ECB had made it clear that all the players will be available: Sanjay Bangar

Sanjay Bangar said at the post-match press conference in Hyderabad: “When we went to the auction, the ECB had made it clear that all the players will be available. It is just that it so happens that the tournament got slightly extended, I would say, because of multiple reasons. Everybody was in a similar position but we lost those English players.”

The PBKS coach further explained, “For us, even losing Livingstone with a niggle around his knee, the ECB pulling him out. Even KG (Kagiso Rabada) had an infection and he had to go back (to South Africa). Those things coupled together meant that when we came to the last two matches, we were short of players of international pedigree and experience. That hurt us but that is not the sole reason why our season was below par.”

Notably, Jitesh Sharma captained the PBKS in a couple of games in the IPL 2024 after Sam Curran returned to England, as they are set to face Pakistan in a four-match T20I series on May 22 ahead of the much-awaited ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

The PBKS finished their IPL 2024 campaign in the ninth spot in the standings, winning only 5 games from their 14 appearances in the cash-rich T20 league. They qualified for the playoffs only twice in the IPL. Punjab’s Harshal Patel is currently the leading wicket-taker in the IPL 2024 with 24 scalps.