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England team's managing director Rob Key has revealed that captain Jos Buttler pushed for withdrawal of T20 World Cup 2024-bound players from Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 for the four-match T20I series against Pakistan. England players are set to fly back home after the group stage of IPL 2024 as the four-T20I series will commence on May 21 leaving few franchises with a depleted squad.
The T20I series directly clashes with IPL 2024 playoffs. The T20I series against Babar Azam-led side will work as a preparatory series ahead of T20 World Cup 2024 for the defending champions. Key revealed his conversation with the wicketkeeper-batter who has scored two centuries for table-toppers Rajasthan Royals (RR).
"I asked him (Buttler) very early on in the piece and said, 'Look, as England captain, you're obviously going to have this series against Pakistan. How do you see it?' And straightaway, he said, 'No, no, I want to come back and start getting ready for the World Cup in that series that's just before it'," Key was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
IPL franchises with England's T20 World Cup-bound players
Apart from RR, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will miss the services of their fiery opener Phil Salt. With slim chances of playoffs qualification, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) are likely to remain unaffected. RCB have Will Jacks and Reece Topley whereas PBKS have three England players including stand-in captain Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone. Also, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will miss their all-rounder Moeen Ali.
Key also said that he had told the players to be prepared if they are ordered to return IPL towards the ending stages for the Pakistan series.
"Look, there is a good chance that you'll be coming back (early)," he told the players before they departed for the IPL.
"There is a chance you could stay out there. We may feel that if you get through to an IPL final that, maybe, that's the best thing to do. It might be that if there's only one of you then you'd let you go on and do that… we have to keep it pretty fluid."
The T20I series against Pakistan will end on May 30. Buttler-led England will begin their campaign against Scotland on June 4.
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