In response to this announcement, cricket boards from various countries have communicated their stance on player availability for the IPL 2024. Notably, the Australian, South African, Afghanistan, New Zealand, and West Indies boards have given full approval for their players’ participation, with minimal or no restrictions.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has recently disclosed that the official window for the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) is scheduled from March 22 to the end of May. However, the finalization of specific dates is contingent on the upcoming general elections in the country next summer, creating a degree of uncertainty in the schedule. This information was conveyed to the franchises ahead of the IPL 2024 auction in Dubai on Tuesday, December 19.
In response to this announcement, cricket boards from various countries have communicated their stance on player availability for the IPL 2024. Notably, the Australian, South African, Afghanistan, New Zealand, and West Indies boards have given full approval for their players’ participation, with minimal or no restrictions. On the other hand, the boards of England, Ireland, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh have granted conditional approval, introducing some complexities.
Cricket Australia (CA) has assured the BCCI that most Australian players will be available for the IPL, except for Josh Hazlewood, who is set to join the league only from the first week of May. The CA clarified that players will be fully available unless they are participating in the final of the Sheffield Shield, a domestic event scheduled from March 21 to 25. Importantly, players have the option to prioritize the IPL over the Sheffield Shield final.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has indicated that its players can participate in the IPL unless they are unfit or have international duties. However, the availability of English players is subject to the ECB’s summer international program, especially around the Twenty20 World Cup scheduled from June 4 to 30 in the Caribbean and the US. The ECB is still finalizing its schedule for the World T20, and any individual player requirements will be managed in consultation with the franchise.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Cricket Ireland (CI) have provided partial availability for their players, with exceptions made for Mustafizur Rahman and Joshua Little. While the Ireland pacer has been permitted to participate fully, the BCB has outlined specific dates for Rahman’s availability, allowing him to join the league from March 22 to May 11.
Sri Lanka, facing a Test series against Bangladesh from March 30 to April 3, raises questions about the availability of some Sri Lankan players. However, certain players, such as Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Matheesha Pathirana, and Dushmantha Chameera, will be available for the entire duration of the IPL, as they do not participate in the Test format.
The BCB has conveyed that Taskin Ahmed and Md. Shoriful Islam, listed for the auction, will not be available for the IPL 2024 edition. This decision affects only three Bangladesh players, including Rahman, who featured in the auction register.
On a positive note, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), Cricket West Indies (CWI), Cricket South Africa (CSA), New Zealand Cricket (NZC), and Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) have confirmed that their players will be available for the entire duration of the IPL, providing a welcome assurance for the franchises.
while the BCCI has outlined the official IPL window, the participation of players from different countries is subject to various conditions and considerations. The dynamic nature of international cricket schedules, especially with elections and other tournaments on the horizon, adds an element of unpredictability to the availability of players for the upcoming IPL season. Franchises will need to navigate these complexities as they strategize and build their teams for the tournament in the coming months.