Forced to Play IPL? Another Flip From WTC Players

Cricket South Africa’s move to prioritise the WTC Finals over the IPL seems to have backfired, as immense pressure from the BCCI has ensured that the South African board makes a U-turn on the matter.

While the board’s earlier decision was to call their players before the playoffs and start WTC preparations right from May 26th, the U-turn now makes sure that South African players like Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada do not start their preparations until June 3rd.

This move seems to have stemmed from the heavy dominance of IPL franchises in the SA20 League, which leads to the prioritization of the SA20 each year over national matches.

This news was again followed by yet another 180° move, where Cricket South Africa made it clear that their players would indeed be returning home before the IPL Playoffs.

With much confusion spread in the air, it will be interesting to see the impact these decisions have on both the IPL and the WTC Finals, potentially becoming a game changer for both.