New Zealand seamer Kyle Jamieson and South African all-rounder Chris Morris were bought for INR 15 crores and a record INR 16.25 crores in the IPL 2021 auction by Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals respectively.
England cricketer Jonny Bairstow, who plays for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, talks about the balance between the huge paychecks in the T20 tournament and playing for your country.
In the ongoing Test series between India and England, Bairstow was not a part of the first two Tests against India in the ongoing Test series, due to England's rotation policy implemented to keep players fresh.
Jonny Bairstow said in a virtual press conference, "Look, I think it is part and parcel of the game. There are guys who have white-ball contracts and red-call contracts and then there are those who have both. I think guys who have white-ball format will want to go to the IPL and you cannot tell them don't go."
IPL 2021: Full squads of all the eight franchises after IPL auction
"When it comes to resting, if you are asking people to be away from home from Jan 2-March 29 and to be in bubbles, at some point, people are going to need rest, that's where the coaching staff has decided to give players rest," he added.
However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is not stopping the players from participating in the IPL where they are again going to have to stay in hotels for a couple of months. When it comes to England players, they will be having a series in New Zealand soon after the IPL and might not get to go home between the two.
Bairstow talks about the players' priorities when it comes to playing the IPL and leaving the international series because the former attracts a huge paycheck.
The 31-year-old said, "Mentally, we have to stay as fresh as we can. We have been staying in hotels and we cannot leave, it is taxing and it is about staying fresh to produce the best on the pitch. When you are talking about the kind of money the likes of Kyle Jamieson, Chris Morris have got, it is hard to turn it down, it can be hard for anybody to turn it down."
"I do not believe there are any priorities, if you look at our away record, we have won six of our last seven Tests away from home, these results do not come by prioritizing one format of the game."
"It is difficult, I lost my red-ball contract last year. As you said, I wanted to play Test cricket, I went to Sri Lanka to play the Test matches and I did not turn up for Big Bash League. That's the nature of the sport at the moment, there is a reason I went to Sri Lanka and I am here in India to play Test cricket," Bairstow added.
The England wicketkeeper was also asked about choosing between the IPL playoffs and the Test series against New Zealand if the two clash. He smartly drubbed the topic away saying that he wasn't sure about the dates as of now.
"I do not know the dates of the IPL playoffs and I do not know the dates of New Zealand Test matches, so cannot say anything at this moment. I am lucky enough to be playing all three formats of the game," Jonny Bairstow concluded.
(With inputs from ANI)
