(AP Photo)
Former Pakistan captain Mohammed Hafeez expressed his disapproval and criticized England captain Jos Buttler’s suggestion that international cricket should not coincide with the Indian Premier League. Hafeez shared his views during a recent episode of the Club Praire Fire podcast on YouTube, where he was joined by former England captain Michael Vaughan and former Australian wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist.
“It shocked me. The statement was given by Jos Buttler after coming out of the IPL season and representing his own country as a captain. He said that there should not be any international cricket clashing with IPL,” said Hafeez.
When questioned about his stance, Vaughan supported the English captain’s viewpoint, emphasizing that the financial rewards offered in franchise leagues surpass what national cricket boards can match.
“Well, it’s it’s just the nature of the beast in 2024, I’m afraid. It’s the modern way. It’s the modern thinking. Whether it’s morally right is a very good question. But I just think the IPL is such a big juggernaut now that it’s very, very hard for these international boards to compete with it. So the safest way is to allow your players to go and play in it,” Vaughan commented.
Vaughan also pointed out the potential repercussions for England’s domestic season. He noted that under the current schedule, English players may face a dilemma between participating in domestic cricket or lucrative franchise leagues, potentially causing a talent drain in the County Championship. He highlighted a similar situation in Pakistan with the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
“And I know the Pakistan Super League’s going to compete with it next year, which will be interesting. It’ll affect the English summer more than any other country because there’ll be so many players from England playing in the IPL and the PSL. But the county is scheduled for April and May next year. There’ll be a lot of players missing, which will be a great shame for the county game,” he added.
Gilchrist concurred with Vaughan’s perspective, indicating that major nations’ domestic cricket, including Australia’s Sheffield Shield, would inevitably feel the impact of such scheduling conflicts.
“Yeah, I think that that that’s what’s going to get compromised is domestic cricket within the more established cricketing nations. So your Sheffield Shield final, for instance, overlaps with the IPL, so players have to make a choice,” Gilchrist said.
However, Hafeez holds the belief that sacrificing national pride to prioritize franchise cricket doesn’t align with his values as a former Pakistan international player.
“Because to me, representing your country is the biggest pride you play for. So if you’re compromising and saying that national pride should not be there during that IPL contract, I think it’s to me, it’s not right,” Hafeez concluded.
