England Players Will Not Be Released For IPL 2021 Resumption, Confirms ECB’s Ashley Giles
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The England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) director of men’s cricket Ashley Giles has confirmed that England players will not be released from their international commitments to participate in the IPL 2021’s second half, whenever the tournament resumes.
The IPL 2021 had to be postponed on May 4 after multiple cases of COVID-19 in teams’ bio-bubbles. More than four players, a couple of coaches, and many ground staff and support staff tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
Also Read: IPL 2021: Rating Chances Of All Teams Winning The Tournament If Second Phase Takes Place In The UAE
Ben Stokes (Image Credit: Twitter)
Now the BCCI has reportedly found a window to conduct the remaining 31 matches of the IPL 2021 tournament, preferably in UAE from late September to mid-October. However, they are dependent on the cricket boards of foreign countries to release players in that period.
We Have A Full Schedule Right Through: Ashley Giles
Ashley Giles, the managing director of England men’s cricket team, has firmly said that England players will not release for the rescheduled IPL. And Giles has also said that ECB will not be altering their schedule for the upcoming India Test series in any way to accommodate the IPL 2021 window.
Ashley Giles. (Image-Sky Sports)
The IPL is likely to restart on about September 18 and run until around October 12. At the same time, England will be touring Bangladesh and Pakistan.
“We have a full schedule if we go from the end of the fifth Test in September. We are set to leave for Bangladesh in the next couple of days. We have a full schedule right through, including Pakistan and wherever the T20 World Cup is.
We are going to have to give some of these guys a break at some point. But the intention of giving guys a break for, say, Bangladesh wouldn’t be for them to go and play cricket elsewhere. We have to manage our schedule now, so we get our guys arriving in the best shape possible for the T20 World Cup and Ashes,” said Giles.
England will be seen in action on June 2 when they take on New Zealand in the first of the two-Test matches, which will be played at the Lord’s in London.
Also Read: “We May See Him Earlier But We’re Not Going To Put Any Deadlines On It,” Ashley Giles On Jofra Archer’s Return
