IPL 2021: Will England players be available for 2nd leg? BCCI to speak to foreign boards

In a major development in the resumption of IPL  phase 2, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday announced that the remaining matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season will be completed in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E) considering the monsoon season in India in the months of September-October. The decision was taken at a Special General Meeting (SGM) held virtually, where members unanimously agreed to resume IPL. As the BCCI has put a stamp on the September-October window to complete the IPL 2021 phase 2 schedule, one major challenge for the India cricket board is the participation of foreign players amidst a full-pack schedule. 

IPL Phase 2: Ashley Giles Confirms Unavailability Of England Players For Second Leg of Tournament

Recently, England men's team Managing Director Ashley Giles was quoted by the ESPNcricinfo who confirmed that the England players will not be available for the IPL Phase 2 which now has been announced to take place in the September-October window in UAE. "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," Ashley Giles had said. 

"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," added Giles.

IPL Phase 2: Questions over the availability of the England and New Zealand players

Following the announcement of the IPL 2021 phase 2, the BCCI is looking to talk to the foreign players' respective cricket boards so that they can participate in the IPL 2021 remaining matches. ANI quoted a BCCI source who said that the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) and they are happy to host the remaining IPL in Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi like last time. The source also added that now the Indian cricket board will speak to the various cricket boards around the world so that the overseas players can participate in IPL phase 2. However, the source also expressed uncertainty over the participation of England and New Zealand players.

"While the Australian players may be available, there are some questions over the availability of the England and New Zealand players, we will see how that works out. We are looking at a 25-day window and that is on," the source said as reported by ANI. 

IPL 2021 Phase 2 Schedule

Before the IPL 2021 was suspended after multiple COVID cases were reported,  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 and they had also looked at UAE as a backup for rescheduling the tournament that was temporarily suspended.

(Image Credits: PTI/Twitter-@Gilo)