England expects that most of the five players selected for the upcoming one-day international (ODI) series against the West Indies, who are currently involved in the Indian Premier League (IPL), will prioritize their international commitments rather than stay in India for the rescheduled tournament. The rescheduling of the IPL, which now concludes on May 27, two days before England’s opening ODI against the West Indies at Edgbaston, means that players like Jofra Archer and Jamie Overton, whose teams have already been eliminated from the playoff race, will be free to join the England squad.
The IPL playoffs, which begin on May 29, will overlap with the final ODI on June 3, and players such as Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, and Will Jacks, who represent teams near the top of the league table, may find themselves torn between their IPL commitments and their responsibilities to England. However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) remains confident that players like Bethell and Jacks will choose to represent England in the first white-ball series at home since Brendon McCullum became the coach of the limited-overs teams and Harry Brook was named captain.
Despite this, it remains uncertain whether all 10 English players who were participating in the IPL before its suspension will decide to return to India. With some teams not scheduled to play again until the following week, there is still time for players to make a final decision. Buttler, however, is expected to return to England soon, and the ECB has promised to assist players in returning to their respective teams should they opt to return to the IPL.
The rescheduled dates have also affected the West Indies squad, as two of their players are involved in teams likely to reach the IPL playoffs. Both the ECB and Cricket West Indies had previously agreed to allow players participating in the tournament to stay in India, but the new timing complicates this stance. The ECB issued a statement explaining that the No Objection Certificates (NOCs) granted for participation in the IPL were based on the original dates, and that these would need to be reviewed in light of the updated schedule.
The impact of the rescheduling is not limited to England and the West Indies. The World Test Championship (WTC) final between South Africa and Australia, set to begin on June 11, is also affected by the new IPL schedule. Cricket Australia has stated that it will support players in making individual decisions about whether to participate in the remaining IPL matches, while Cricket South Africa expects its eight players involved in the IPL to report for duty in England as planned on May 31.
A new rule introduced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in September 2024 mandates that players who withdraw from the IPL for reasons other than injury or illness face a two-year ban from the tournament. The BCCI has yet to decide whether it will waive this rule in light of the recent disruption caused by the tournament’s suspension.
The World Cricketers’ Association (WCA) has called for understanding in this situation, emphasizing that the lack of clarity regarding the security situation has made it difficult for players to make fully informed decisions. Tom Moffat, the WCA’s chief executive, stated that given the unique circumstances, it would be unreasonable to penalize players for decisions made in good faith.
Meanwhile, Archer, who was not included in the T20 squad for the West Indies series, is expected to play for England Lions in a four-day game against India A at Northampton in early June as part of his preparation for a potential Test return. Other notable absentees include Liam Livingstone, who captained England as recently as November but has not been named in the squad for either the ODIs or T20s.
