Hafeez Criticizes Buttler’s IPL Preference
Former Pakistan skipper, Mohammad Hafeez, expressed his disappointment and criticized current England captain Jos Buttler for suggesting that no international cricket should take place during the Indian Premier League (IPL). Hafeez shared his views during a recent episode of the Club Praire Fire podcast on YouTube, where he was joined by former England captain Michael Vaughan and former Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist.
Buttler’s Controversial Statement
“It shocked me. The statement was given by Jos Buttler after coming out of the IPL season and representing his own country as a captain. He said that there should not be any international cricket clashing with IPL,” Hafeez said.
Vaughan’s Perspective on Franchise Leagues
Michael Vaughan, when asked for his opinion, agreed with Buttler’s stance, emphasizing the financial incentives offered by franchise leagues. Vaughan highlighted the challenges faced by national cricket boards in competing with the lucrative deals of franchise leagues.
“Well, it’s just the nature of the beast in 2024, I’m afraid. It’s the modern way. It’s the modern thinking. Whether it’s morally right is a very good question. But I just think the IPL is such a big juggernaut now that it’s very, very hard for these international boards to compete with it. So the safest way is to allow your players to go and play in it,” Vaughan commented.
Impact on Domestic Cricket
Vaughan further elaborated on how this shift would impact England’s domestic season. He noted that with the current scheduling, English players would have to choose between domestic cricket and franchise cricket, potentially leading to a decline in talent participating in the County Championship.
“And I know the Pakistan Super League’s going to compete with it next year, which will be interesting. It’ll affect the English summer more than any other country because there’ll be so many players from England playing in the IPL and the PSL. But the county is scheduled for April and May next year. There’ll be a lot of players missing, which will be a great shame for the county game,” he added.
Gilchrist on Compromising Domestic Competitions
Adam Gilchrist agreed with Vaughan’s viewpoint, suggesting that domestic cricket in major cricketing nations would suffer, including Australia’s Sheffield Shield.
“Yeah, I think that that’s what’s going to get compromised is domestic cricket within the more established cricketing nations. So your Sheffield Shield final, for instance, overlaps with the IPL, so players have to make a choice,” Gilchrist said.
Hafeez’s Stand on National Pride
Hafeez concluded by emphasizing the importance of national pride and representing one’s country, stating that compromising this pride for an IPL contract is unacceptable to him.
“Because to me, representing your country is the biggest pride you play for. So if you’re compromising and saying that national pride should not be there during that IPL contract, I think it’s to me, it’s not right,” Hafeez concluded.(Dubai7 realmoneygame)