The revised schedule of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has raised uncertainty over the availability of several overseas cricketers. Following the announcement of squads by England and the West Indies yesterday, doubts have emerged about the participation of players from those nations in the remaining matches of the tournament. Additionally, a number of South African players will also miss the IPL due to preparations for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The WTC final is set to begin on June 11, with South Africa scheduled to face Australia. In preparation, Cricket South Africa (CSA) has instructed its selected players to return home early and join the national camp by May 26.
Originally, the IPL final was scheduled to take place on May 25. CSA had agreed to allow its players to participate in the tournament with the condition that they return home by May 26. However, due to a rescheduling caused by geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan, the IPL calendar was pushed back. Despite the new schedule, CSA has maintained its original condition, meaning several South African players will be unavailable for the latter part of the IPL.
Speaking in Johannesburg after the announcement of South Africa’s squad, head coach Shukri Conrad addressed the situation:
“Our initial agreement with the IPL and BCCI was that if the final took place on May 25, our players would return on May 26. This would allow us enough time to prepare before departing the country on May 30.”
He added, “Discussions are still ongoing. Our Director of Cricket and CEO are handling the matter, and they’ll make the final call. But my preference is for all our players to return by May 26—and I hope that will happen.”
UA / TDS
