Former England captain Michael Vaughan has strongly criticized the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for its decision to recall players from the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the T20I series against Pakistan. Vaughan believes that the players would have benefited more from participating in the IPL playoffs than playing in the T20I series.
Vaughan's comments come after England players Will Jacks, Phil Salt, and Jos Buttler were ordered to return for international duty, missing out on the IPL playoffs. Vaughan argues that playing in the high-pressure environment of the IPL playoffs would have been better preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup than playing in a T20I against Pakistan.
"I think England missed a trick by sending all their players home," Vaughan said on the 'Club Prairie Fire' podcast. "I think Will Jacks, Phil Salt, Jos Buttler in particular, playing in the IPL in the eliminations (playoffs), pressure, crowd, expectation, I would argue that playing here is better preparation than playing a T20 game against Pakistan."
Vaughan emphasized that he is not advocating for club cricket to take precedence over international duty. However, he believes that the pressure and intensity of the IPL playoffs would have been more beneficial for the players' development in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup.
"I am all for international cricket, but...this tournament (IPL) in particular is so exposed to pressure...players are under a huge amount of pressure from fans, owners, social media; it's massive," Vaughan said. "I just felt Buttler, probably not as much but I still think he could have stayed here, but Will Jacks and Phil Salt, I think they would have been better prepared (for the T20 World Cup) staying here and playing in the IPL than going back to Headingley to play a (T20I) game."
Former Australia captain Adam Gilchrist agreed with Vaughan's assessment, stating that the players who were actively involved in the IPL playoffs should have been allowed to stay back. "I am sure there are a number of (England) players who could have fulfilled those obligations (for T20I series against Pakistan) in the international setup there, but the guys that were actively involved in the IPL, in the finals period (should have stayed back). I think that's a missed opportunity, spot on," Gilchrist said.
The IPL final will be played between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday in Chennai, while the T20 World Cup will begin on June 2 in the US and West Indies.
Tags: #IPL, #EnglandCricket, #T20WorldCup, #MichaelVaughan, #AdamGilchrist
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