With hours left for the IPL auction, English pacemaker Mark Wood has taken his name off the auction list. The news broke for franchises at the briefing in Chennai before the auction. According to a report from Cricbuzz, Wood is believed to have opted out of the auction because he wants to spend time with his family. Wood rested in England for the first two Tests against India in Chennai. Also read – IPL Auction 2021: Preity Zinta reacts when Kings XI Punjab officially become Punjab Kings
The English pacemaker was priced at a base price of Rs 2cr and was expected to attract deals. Now that he’s retired, he could now get some franchises in a troubled spot before the auction. Apparently, Wood made it clear before the auction that he didn’t want to unsubscribe after being chosen. Also Read – IPL Auction 2021: Will Harbhajan Singh Join Forces With Anil Kumble In Punjab Kings?
He had shown up for Chennai Super Kings in 2018, but played just one match and conceded 49 runs. Last year, the defending champs were contemplating bringing Wood as a replacement for Lasith Malinga, but that didn’t happen as MI opted for James Pattinson. Also Read: Spotlight On 10 New Faces At 2021 IPL Auction: Arjun Tendulkar To Shahrukh Khan, Unlimited Indian Players Who Could Get BIG Dollars
Meanwhile, Wood has been selected for the remaining two events against India.
Wood’s retirement means that 16 English players will participate in the auction on Thursday. Big names like Dawid Malan, Alex Hales, Moeen Ali, Jason Roy and Adil Rashid would be at stake. Tom Banton and James Vince did not give their names for the auction because they wanted to be available throughout the county season.
England captain Joe Root made headlines last week when he admitted that he wants to play the IPL, but cannot due to the hectic schedule.
“I am desperate to be a part of an IPL season and hope for some more,” Root said last week. “[But] With the amount of test cricket in particular this year, I didn’t feel like it was the right time and I didn’t feel like I could put all my energy into it, which I think it deserves. “
