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Cricket Australia (CA) is set to support the shaken Aussie players’ decision to refrain from returning to the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to safety concerns.
The tensions between India and Pakistan reached fever-pitch following an attack last month in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) town of Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists.
However, the situation returned to normal after an immediate ceasefire on Saturday, following days of deadly jet fighter, missile, drone and artillery attacks.
The escalating situation led to the postponement of the IPL and the Pakistan Super League (PSL), leaving many players stranded in a tense environment.
According to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald, many Australian players expressed feelings of fear and anxiety on their return home from the IPL.
Among the coaching staff, Ricky Ponting and Brad Haddin are still in India. While Justin Langer and Mike Hussey, have returned home, but are expecting to be called back to complete the tournament.
The players are experiencing uncertainty because of safety concerns and the pressure to return to the tournament this week. Furthermore, Australian players are worried that if they decide against participating, they could be left out of future IPL editions.
It is worth mentioning that foreign players opting out of the tournament without serious reasons have faced consequences. The recent example is of England’s Harry Brook, who was handed a two-year ban from the IPL for pulling out of the tournament for the second season in a row.
In light of this, CA will defend the rights of players in their decision not to participation in the remaining matches of IPL.
The report further revealed that the abandonment of a match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings due to air raid warnings raised plenty of questions, as there were already concerns about playing the game in that northern location.
With IPL set to conclude no later than 24 May finish date, it is doubtful that Australian players will feature in the edition due to international commitments.
Australia is set to play the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa in one month. Test players like Travis Head, Starc, captain Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood are meant to spend a few days at home before flying to the United Kingdom.
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