Indian Premier League - A dream compromising national duties?

A tournament this big becomes a dream place for cricketers, and that's where many controversies & questions are raised. Indian Premier League, despite not being an international tournament, gets more viewership and cheers from fans. The big cash-win game for players is tempting enough to impact players' minds and their willingness to give up on playing national games for the Indian Premier League.

Indian Premier League became an easy target to blame for poor forms of players across international formats. A few seasons back, players easily chose the Indian Premier League over international duties, but this soon followed much criticism from the retired players of the respective teams. Due to this, since the Indian Premier League 2021, there have been many withdrawals by players in the name of international duties even after being picked up by franchises for hefty prices.

Country Vs Club 

"The leading multi-format players are paid seven-figure sums, but, incredibly, the ECB washes its hands off for two months of  the year during the Indian Premier League. Players should not miss international duty to play in the IPL, nor be rested and rotated to allow them to play elsewhere. In his column, the carry-on during the winter, and at the start of the English summer, should not happen again," former England captain Michael Atherton wrote.

Former Australian cricketer Shane Warne felt that players prioritising the Indian Premier League (IPL) over national duty should not be considered for selection by the cricketing boards. "I don't begrudge the players getting the money they have; it's fantastic. Suppose they want to take the money, [let them] take it. But if you want to play cricket for your country and you choose the IPL, then maybe it's not worth picking those guys then because this is going to happen – people are going to rest and miss Test matches and miss representing your country to go and play for money," Shane Warne said on the Road to Ashes podcast.

Even before the commencement of Indian Premier League 2022, a similar situation arose, owing to which South African skipper Dean Elgar said he's trying his best to convince players to stay and play for the test team instead of IPL. However, the players chose the IPL over the international game. 

Following this, Aakash Chopra said on Dean Elgar's comment, "The question stems from this is – Is the club bigger than the country? The club versus country debate has caught a little fire again. Dean Elgar had said this will be a loyalty test. The question is – Is IPL bullying the other boards?" He further added, "IPL has not said anything; IPL in fact says that when Cricket South Africa gives the NOC (No Objection Certificate), they get 10% from the players' salary. This is how the market of international cricket works".

Players who will complete international duties to join IPL 2022.... but later

Chennai Super Kings: South Africa's Dwaine Pretorius missed the opening game, as he finished playing the ODI series against Bangladesh at home only on March 23.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Alex Hales pulled out of the IPL, citing bubble fatigue which opened a door for Australia's limited-overs captain Aaron Finch. However, he will be available after April 5, when Australia's white-ball series against Pakistan concludes. Pat Cummins, meanwhile, is understood to be flying back to Australia after the Pakistan Test series to attend Shane Warne's memorial on March 30.

Tim Southee may miss the playoffs and the final, having Knight Riders make it that far, as New Zealand begins a three-match Test series in England on June 2.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Australia seamer Sean Abbott will miss the first three games

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Glenn Maxwell will miss the first two games. At the same time, Josh Hazlewood and Jason Behrendorff are set to miss the first three matches as the

Australian players will only be released after April 6.

Delhi Capitals: David Warner is unavailable for the Capitals' first two games, and Mitchell Marsh for the first three. Lungi Ngidi and Mustafizur Rahman were part of the South Africa-Bangladesh ODI series and will also miss the first match.

Punjab Kings: Kagiso Rabada will miss the opening match as he was part of South Africa's ODI series against Bangladesh. Jonny Bairstow is in the West Indies with England's Test side and will likely miss the first two games. 

Lucknow Super Giants: Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers are expected to be available only after the first week of the IPL as they are part of the West Indies Test squad against England. Marcus Stoinis, who is part of Australia's white-ball squads for the Pakistan tour, will also miss the third match.

Gujarat Titans: West Indies' Alzarri Joseph is playing the third Test against England and thus missed the first game.

Franchises' Dilemma

While some players backed off, citing bubble fatigue, some got injured before IPL, forcing them to quit IPL. Franchises raised concern over players pulling out of the Indian Premier League, and now BCCI is reportedly planning some measures to discourage the practice.

"The GC commits the franchises which are the important stakeholders of the league. They bid for a player after a lot of planning. Their calculations go haywire if a player pulls out, that too for flimsy reasons," a GC member was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

"There will not be a comprehensive policy that everyone who has pulled out of the IPL will be prevented for years. It will be on a case-by-case basis, and some research will be done before action is initiated. What if the reason is genuine?" The report quoted an unnamed source. However, the policy would deal with players on a case-by-case basis to avoid punishing those with valid reasons, including injuries.

Undoubtedly, the Indian Premier League brings lots of glory and limelight to the cricketer's career, being the most viewed tournament globally. Such leagues can be largely used to focus on bringing new talents and grooming them under various experienced players or helping a player regain his form and confidence while struggling internationally.