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Michael Vaughan, a former England cricketer, found himself in a bit of a debate with a Pakistani journalist. The journalist questioned Vaughan about his recent comments regarding the Pakistan cricket team. It all stemmed from Vaughan's criticism of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for calling back English players from the high-pressure IPL playoffs to participate in a T20I series against Pakistan.
Vaughan firmly defended his stance. He argued that playing in the intense environment of the IPL playoffs would have been more beneficial preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 than facing Pakistan in a regular T20I series. This decision by the ECB meant that several English players, including Will Jacks, Phil Salt, and Jos Buttler, had to cut their IPL stints short and return to England for national duty.
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"I think you’re going to miss the trick by sending all their players home. You know, I think Will Jacks, Phil Salt, Jos Butler, in particular, playing in the IPL in the eliminators, pressure, crowd, expectation. I would argue that playing here is better preparation than playing a T20 game against Pakistan," Vaughan said on Club Praire Fire podcast.
Vaughan's comments sparked a heated debate. A Pakistani journalist, clearly unhappy with Vaughan's remarks about the Pakistan team, took a jab at him. The journalist challenged Vaughan, asking if he would apologize to Pakistani fans if Pakistan emerged victorious in the upcoming World Cup.
Vaughan, however, remained unfazed. He didn't shy away from his stance and delivered a short, yet firm response. In a display of his characteristic cheekiness, Vaughan simply replied "NO" to the journalist's post.
It's worth noting that Vaughan wasn't alone in his opinion. England's captain, Jos Buttler, also previously voiced his support for prioritizing the IPL over some international matches. He argued that bilateral series shouldn't be scheduled to clash with the high-profile IPL tournament.
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“It’s a unique buildup, that’s why we felt it was good to get the players together in this series. In my personal opinion, there should never be any international cricket that clashes with IPL. In my personal opinion, there should never be any international cricket that clashes with IPL,” Buttler said on SkySports.
Pakistan's pre-World Cup form has raised some eyebrows. They were unable to secure a series win against a New Zealand team missing some key players, drawing 2-2 at home. Things didn't improve much away from home, with a loss to Ireland in a T20I and a 23-run defeat to England in the second T20I of their current series. However, Pakistan captain Babar Azam remains calm. He insists the team is still experimenting and focused on finding the best combination for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Babar Azam-led Pakistan are will be pitted against India, Ireland, Canada and co-hosts USA in Group A . They will start their T20 World Cup campaign against USA on 6 June in Dallas.
England's T20 World Cup squad
Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood
Pakistan's T20 World Cup squad
Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan
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