English skipper Jos Buttler expressed his disappointment in leaving the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 mid-way due to national duty. All the players in the likes of Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Moeen Ali and Will Jacks, who were a part of the league, had to leave the tournament halfway to play a 4-match T20I series against Pakistan in England in preparation for the T20 World Cup 2024.
"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," said Buttler on SkySports.
While Buttler will be missed by Rajasthan Royals (RR), Will Jacks was definitely missed by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as they lost the match due to the shortage of 10-15 runs in the Eliminator. Moreover, the 1st T20I between England and Pakistan was abandoned due to rain, which was scheduled in Leeds.
'It was only fair for all franchises to lose a player each or so...' - Sam Curran opines on English players' return to play against Pakistan
Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Sam Curran had a different opinion on the English players' return to their country to play a match against Pakistan. As per Curran, the England Cricket Board (ECB) did a great job in calling back all the players since it was fair for the franchises to lose one player.
"It was a decision that was made, that it was probably the right thing for us all to come back. It was only fair for all franchises to lose a player each or so… it would have been quite harsh if some franchises got to keep a couple of players and then some didn't," said Sam Curran as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.