IPL 2021 Phase 2 – Aaron Finch on Australians in IPL: Australia’s limited over skipper Aaron Finch slammed the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Jhye Richardson for skipping the upcoming ODI and T20I series against West Indies and Bangladesh. He believes the absentees will “find it hard to justify” featuring in the second phase of the Indian Premier League scheduled in September in UAE.
Finch admitted he was surprised when the first team players were missing from the squad announced for the white-ball tour of the Caribbean and Bangladesh.
He although admitted that it had been a “long-term plan” for David Warner, Pat Cummins, who are also amongst the highest-paid Australians in IPL, to miss out, he was not expecting others to follow suit.
“The other guys – I was a little bit surprised,” Finch told a radio station. “I’ve chatted to them all – a little bit surprised but it’s also understandable … but I wish that they were there.”
Daniel Sams and Kane Richardson are the other absentees from 10 T20Is and three ODIs to be played in St Lucia, Barbados and (pending confirmation) Bangladesh in July and August.
Finch said: “I think they would find it hard to justify going back and playing that second half of the IPL.
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“Just purely based on the workload coming up with a T20 World Cup and a huge home summer.
“It’s really tough. It’s a tough situation that everyone has been put in, but personally, I would find it hard to do that knowing how difficult it is and how challenging it is mentally, and on your family as well. That’s what I would think.”
Steve Smith, meanwhile, was ruled out due to an elbow injury that aggravated during his stint with Delhi Capitals.
IPL 2021 Phase 2: Australians likely to miss IPL 2021?
While Pat Cummins has withdrawn from the IPL, others are yet to announce their decision. However, selection chief Trevor Hohns has made it clear that he expects national commitments over the IPL.
Australia will host Sri Lanka for 3-match ODI and T20I series in October before the ICC T20 World Cup. There is a possibility that just like the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Cricket Australia completely shuns the idea of allowing its players to return for IPL.
The ECB chief Ashley Giles had indicated England players’ priority would be the bilateral series scheduled to play immediately after the India Test series and before the T20 World Cup.
Australian Players who can miss out: Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins, David Warner, Jhye Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, Steve Smith, Riley Meredith, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams, Dan Christian, Chris Lynn, Andrew Tye, Ben Cutting, Jason Behrendorff, Moises Henriques, Adam Zampa
Australia Tour of the West Indies 2021
Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Wes Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Dan Christian, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserves: Nathan Ellils, Tanveer Sangha.
West Indies T20 squad: Kieron Pollard (c), Nicholas Pooran (vc), Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Kevin Sinclair, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr