Gavaskar: Honor IPL, cut pay. | © Twitter (@BrokenCricket)
Sunil Gavaskar voiced his dissatisfaction regarding the choice of numerous England players to exit the ongoing IPL before the Pakistan series, citing preparations for the T20 World Cup.
In his Mid-Day piece, he stressed the significance of upholding commitments made to IPL franchises, proposing that players who opt out should incur salary deductions. Gavaskar also urged for consequences for cricket boards, advocating for penalties for failing to honor agreements.
Among the individuals straddling England’s squad for the Pakistan series and the IPL are Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, and Liam Livingstone, all representing Punjab Kings; Will Jacks and Reece Topley from Royal Challengers Bengaluru; Jos Buttler of Rajasthan Royals; Phil Salt with Kolkata Knight Riders, and Moeen Ali from Chennai Super Kings.
“I fully support players prioritizing their national team commitments, but after assuring various franchises of their availability for the entire season, withdrawing at this stage would be a disservice to the franchises. These franchises offer them more financial compensation in one IPL season than they earn in several seasons with their national team. The franchises should not only be permitted to deduct a significant portion from the player’s fee, but also withhold the 10 percent commission from the fee that each player contributes to their respective cricket board,” Gavaskar articulated.
Gavaskar also called for consequences for cricket boards, suggesting a penalty for backing out agreements. He criticized the practice of boards receiving a commission from IPL fees, noting that such arrangements are unique to the IPL and are not observed in other T20 leagues globally.
“If the Board fails to uphold its commitment, they should also face penalties. Interestingly, this 10 percent commission to the Boards is exclusive to the IPL and is not present in other T20 leagues such as the Australian Big Bash, the ECB’s The Hundred, or the Caribbean Premier League. Despite this, does the BCCI receive any appreciation for its generosity? Absolutely not,” he remarked.
It is worth noting that England will play a four-match T20I series against Pakistan starting on May 22. Players currently playing in the Indian Premier League will return in time for the series.
England squad for Pakistan series:
Jos Buttler (c), 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, Mark Wood
