IPL 2021 - 'The Intention of Giving Guys A Break Wouldn't Be For Them To Go & Play Elsewhere' - Ashley Giles

Ashley Giles, the ECB Managing Director has maintained his earlier position that the priority of his players would be to be on national duty and no adjustment would be made to the international schedule to accommodate a re-planned IPL in the possible window of September-October. He also added that he had received no formal requests from the BCCI in this regard.

Giles said that the ECB had no intention to alter their schedule for the summer and in particular there was no plan to bring forward the dates of the Test series against India which would allow the BCCI more time in the September-October window to host a re-scheduled IPL in the UAE.

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‘I’m not aware of anything official, any requests to shift anything. As far as we’re concerned and what we’re prepared for, the matches will be where they are. I’m not surprised there’s all sorts of speculation. Everyone wants to get their cricket in. But we’ve not received anything official and we’re cracking on,” quoted Giles.

Giles also stated that though some players would be rested for the limited overs’ tours of Bangladesh and Pakistan in September-October, that would not give them the licence to go and play in the IPL.

The BCCI is mulling over hosting the second half of the IPL between September 19-20 and October 12 which directly clashes with the dates of England’s tour of 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 on September 19 or 20. We have a full schedule right through including Pakistan and wherever the T20 World Cup is,” added Giles.

“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.”

Giles also hinted that he would want the England players to be fit and in shape and good health before the two marquee events at the end of the year – the World T20 in India/UAE and the Ashes in December.

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“We have to manage our schedule now, so we get our guys arriving in the best shape possible for the T20 World Cup and the Ashes,” stated Giles.

Apparently, the ECB had made a window for their players to take part in IPL 2021 in April-May and were not too fussed about its impact on the Test series against New Zealand in early June as the latter was fitted in later and did not form part of the World Test Championship.

Giles also added that the ECB were in no rush to call upon the services of some of their star players who had taken part in the IPL – the likes of Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow have been rested for the two-Test series against New Zealand.

“Communication was made from Chris Silverwood to Bairstow and Buttler about what the plan was. We felt there was no need to go back on that. They’ve been spending time with their families and Jos is away for a few days at the moment. We didn’t want to drag those players out of that at the 11th hour. There was no plan to change that,” said Giles.

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