Jos Buttler fires Nasser Hussain and Geoffrey Boycott, claims IPL 2021 cannot be ignored

England players have been severely criticised by English greats like Geoffrey Boycott and Nasser Hussain for prioritising the Indian Premier League (IPL) over playing for the country. England are slated to play New Zealand in the first match of their two-match series on May 2 which is why the IPL-bound England stars will miss the Test match as confirmed by head coach Chris Silverwood in a virtual press conference. The decision to choose IPL over national duty didn't go down well with Boycott and Hussain as they slammed the English players.

RR team 2021 star Jos Buttler opens up on benefits of IPL

Now, England wicket-keeper and RR team 2021 batting mainstay Jos Buttler has stated that the huge financial windfall that comes with an IPL contract can't be ignored. He also revealed that the England Cricket Board (ECB) never gave him the option of skipping the IPL 2021 to be available for the Test series against New Zealand.

Speaking about the England New Zealand series, Buttler said that he doesn't know about other players but nothing about skipping the Test series was discussed with him. He added that an agreement about the participation in IPL was in place well before the New Zealand Test series was announced. However, Buttler agreed that some players could skip the New Zealand Tests if their sides make it to the playoffs of IPL 2021.

Further speaking about the tournament, Buttler said that everyone knows the benefits of the IPL as it's a huge tournament and monetary rewards are obvious and also the experience you gain has its pluses too. He also pointed out IPL's role in the progress of the white ball game in England, the number of players participating in the tournament and how beneficial it is to them. Buttler admitted that the schedule is tough and there is no perfect balance to it but he opined that the ECB and players are working closely trying to manage that.

Buttler also opened up on the lucrative aspect of the IPL. The England stumper said that IPL is advantageous to a lot of people with the money that's involved as it's the biggest tournament in cricket in terms of money and careers can be short but they know that playing for England can be a huge draw and they are very well remunerated playing for England. Buttler further said that it is a big feather in the cap for England side that 12 players were in demand in the world's biggest tournament. He reiterated that playing in the IPL would also benefit them for the T20 World Cup in terms of player improvement and skills that you get to learn.

It is worth mentioning that there are 12 England players with million-dollar contracts playing in the IPL. Some of the most prominent players include Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer for Rajasthan Royals, Sam Curran and Tom Curran for Delhi Capitals and Dawid Malan for Punjab Kings, Moeen Ali and Sam Curran for Chennai Super Kings.

Meanwhile, according to IPL 2021 schedule, the tournament is set to commence on April 9 with the final slated to be played on May 30. The tournament opener will see Royal Challengers Bangalore lock horns with defending champions Mumbai Indians in Chennai. As for Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer, the trio is set to feature in the five-match India vs England T20I series. The India vs England T20I series will commence on March 12 with the first T20I at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

SOURCE: RAJASTHAN ROYALS TWITTER