IPL teams seek ban on foreign players pulling out of tournament

The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises have asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to impose a ban on foreign players who withdraw from the tournament for “unconvincing reasons.”

According to Indian media outlets, several franchises have forwarded their concerns about the foreign players’ lack of commitment to the IPL even after being picked in the auction.

The issue will be a major talking point in the July 31 meeting between the BCCI officials and franchise owners of the Indian Premier League, reports said.

The development came after top foreign players including England’s Jason Roy, Alex Hales, and Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga withdrew from the previous IPL seasons allegedly due to receiving low bids.

The reasons for their withdrawal have irked the franchise owners who consider the players’ excuses such as personal issues and injuries as invalid.

Reports said that the IPL franchises’ owners have in the previous meeting with the BCCI sought action against unreliable players who have withdrawn without valid reasons, with some even suggesting bans for these foreign players.

According to the owners, players’ sudden withdrawals have disrupted their planning conducted prior to the auction.

Additionally, the IPL teams also highlighted that a few foreign players opt out of participating in the mega-auction, only to secure higher bids in the mini-auction.

In March this year, former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar suggested that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) must “penalise players” and the “boards” for pulling out of IPL mid-tournament.

“I am all for players choosing country before anything else but having assured various franchises about their availability for the full season, if they pull out now, it will be letting down the franchises which probably pay them more money in one IPL season which they don’t earn in a few seasons with their country,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for an Indian media outlet.

“The franchises should not only be allowed to deduct a substantial amount from the fee that the player was bought for, but also not give the Board, to which the player belongs, the stated 10 per cent commission of the fee that each player gets,” he added.

Following the withdrawal of several England players from the IPL 2024 for the T20I series against Pakistan in May this year, former Indian pacer Irfan Pathan slammed the foreign players for leaving without completing the season with their teams.

“Either be available for full season or don’t come”, Pathan wrote in a post on X.