“Main priority is playing for England” – Jos Buttler backs ECB’s decision to pull players out of IPL 2024 early
England will look to defend their T20 title under the leadership of Jos Buttler.
England international Jos Buttler has lauded ECB’s decision to pull its players out of the ongoing IPL 2024 before emphasizing that the IPL should not clash with international cricket in the first place. England are scheduled to lock horns with Pakistan in the four-match T20I series, with the T20I opener slated to be played on May 22, Wednesday at Headingly in Leeds.
Eight of England’s T20 World Cup-bound players were part of IPL 2024 recently. Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Will Jacks, Reece Topley, Phil Salt, Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone packed up their bags and jetted off to England to play the T20I series in the build-up to the T20 World Cup 2024.
Soon after the aforementioned players left IPL for their national duty, Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan slammed them. While Gavaskar demanded a penalty for England cricketers, Pathan asked them to either play the whole tournament or not participate at all.
There shouldn’t be any international cricket that clashes with IPL: Jos Buttler
Meanwhile, Jos Buttler who left RR camp ahead of the playoffs stressed the fact that his main priority is to be playing for England. According to him, IPL should not clash with international cricket before adding that these fixtures have been in the sporting calendar for a long time. Furthermore, he stated that playing the T20I series will serve as the ideal preparation heading into the marquee event.
“I said, Look, as an England captain, my main priority is to be playing for England. It’s my personal opinion that there shouldn’t be any international cricket that clashes with the IPL. I think that these games have been in the calendar for a long time. Of course, leading into a World Cup, your No. 1 priority is playing for England and performing for England. I feel like this is the best preparation,” Buttler was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
England are clubbed with Australia, Namibia, Oman and Scotland in Group B of T20 World Cup 2024. The defending champions will kick-start their World Cup campaign against Scotland. The game will kick off on June 4, Tuesday at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
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