ECB likely to limit England cricketer's involvement in IPL 2022 following horrific Ashes 2021-22 defeat

It has been a nightmarish outing for England in the ongoing Ashes against Australia. Playing Down Under, England has lost the series, as it trails 0-3. While it has managed to draw the Sydney Test, it awaits its fate in the Hobart Test from Friday. In the meantime, the poor show by the players might impact their participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.

Last year, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran and Chris Woakes were rested for England's home Test series against New Zealand, following their rigid outing in IPL 2021, as England lost the series at home. As per a report by The Times, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is reviewing its Ashes debacle. Ashley Giles (ECB Managing Director) is charting up some recommendations to improve its Test team, which could include skipping the IPL.

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Although it is unclear if the Englishmen would miss out on IPL 2022 entirely, the report suggests that they could be limited to the opening few weeks rather than the entire tournament. Moreover, with the competition set to run over two months starting this year with the number of teams getting extended to ten, ECB has been worried over player burnouts. In the meantime, IPL 2022 might witness its playoffs overlapping with the start of the English summer, as it hosts NZ again in a three-Test series.

Only Buttler and Moeen are the Englishmen to be retained in the IPL by their respective franchises, Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Also, several English players have already given their names to enter the mega auction, slated for next month. It could be possible that the ECB could limit their participation in the IPL and prioritise playing some First-Class (FC) county games before taking on the Kiwis at home.

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"The players should be told that, while the ECB will be accommodating of the request to play in IPL, a 12-month contract is exactly that, and the granting of a no-objection certificate to play in IPL and other franchised competitions are contingent on it being in the best interests of the England team. Players should not miss international duty to play in the IPL, nor be rested and rotated to allow them to play elsewhere," wrote former English skipper Michael Atherton for The Times.