New Zealand Cricket has indicated that it cannot prevent its players from fully participating in the next IPL if the knockout phase matches of the lucrative league clash with the first match of the Test series in England from June 2, according to a report .
The report posted on stuff.co.nz also reported that New Zealand players heading to the IPL may miss the matches on the limited Bangladesh tour.
Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Mitchell Santner and Tim Seifert are destined for the IPL and could be joined by several teammates from among the 20 New Zealanders entered in Thursday’s player auction. Kyle Jamieson could also land a contract for the first time after his memorable breakout year in international cricket.
The IPL is likely to start in the second week of April and its knockout matches may occur in early June. New Zealand’s first Test of the England series, which is not part of the World Test Championships, begins June 2 at Lord’s. New Zealand has already qualified for the WTC final.
“NZC will take a pragmatic approach as these meetings are a late addition to the calendar. We will work on the decision together with the players, ”NZC CEO David White told stuff.co.nz when asked about the possibility of NZ players missing the first test against England.
The two test matches against England were announced last month and that’s what White was referring to.
According to the report, NZC will send a larger than normal test team to England to guard against the risk of injury or illness.
He said New Zealand cricketers have yet to miss a test match for the IPL. The last three tours of England in 2008, 2013 and 2015 saw the IPL contingent arrive just days before the first test.
White said it has not yet been confirmed when the New Zealand contingent would need to join its IPL franchises next month.
Players may need to enter biosecurity bubbles in mid-to-late March, which means they could miss all three Bangladesh T20 internationals on March 28, 30 and April 1, and possibly the previous three ODIs. (March 20-26).
“We are still awaiting advice on when the IPL will start and what the MIQ protocols will be, but we will take a pragmatic approach in the event of any conflict,” said the NZC CEO.
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