Ashley Giles confirms unavailability of England players for IPL 2021 due to busy schedule

Ashley Giles, the managing director of the England men's team, has said that the England and Wales Cricket (ECB) are not planning to change their schedule for the IPL 2021 which is planned to be rescheduled in September with the knockout phase to be held in October after the 14th edition of the marquee tournament had to be postponed indefinitely with immediate effect due to coronavirus fear on May 4.

Giving clarification on the same, Ashley Giles said that the English players will be rested at the point in time and they would not be allowed to go and play cricket elsewhere.

'We have a full schedule': Ashley 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," ESPNcricinfo quoted Giles as saying.

"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," he added.

"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," the former left-arm spinner added.

Before the IPL was suspended, 31 matches were still left to be organised including the playoffs, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was actively looking for a window to conduct the remainder of IPL 2021 ever since the tournament was postponed and earlier this week, it was learned that the mega event might resume on September 18-19 and the summit clash will be played on October 9/10.

Earlier, reports had emerged claiming the national cricket board could lose a staggering INR 2,500 crore in profits if the remainder of the IPL 2021 is left untouched this season. 

(With ANI Inputs)