England batting legend Geoffrey Boycott came down hard on England players for prioritizing the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the national duties, slamming the cricketers by saying they will never skip the cash-rich tournament because they “miss their wife, girlfriend or kids.”
The former opener further insisted that the English cricketers must understand they are playing in the world’s biggest T20 tournament IPL because they play for their national team and they should respect it.
He further suggested England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) “must stop treating players in a namby-pamby way”, saying the board should be docked money if they put the IPL above national duty and leave any series mid-way despite being fit enough to play or for family reasons.
England sticks to their rotation policy to help their multi-format players cope better with life in bio-secure bubbles put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Boycott felt they messed up with a rotation policy after the touring side recently suffered a 1-3 Test series loss in India.
Boycott wrote in the Daily Telegraph: “England messed up with a rotation policy in India and must stop treating players in a namby-pamby way. Players seem to forget the IPL would not come calling for them if they had not performed for England first.”
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He further added, “So they owe a debt of gratitude and loyalty to put England first. I would never stop them from earning that but not by missing games for England to do it. But I bet you will not see any of our players leaving the IPL because they miss their wife, girlfriend, or kids.”
The 80-year-old said ECB had been “too soft” in the matter while suggesting penalties for any “fit healthy player” being unavailable for the national duty. He continued, “If players want to go home for a break from England duty, dock their money. Better still don't select them unless they can agree to be available for a whole series.”
Boycott also described England head coach Chris Silverwood, ECB chief executive Tom Harrison, Director of Cricket Ashley Giles, and Chairman of Selectors Ed Smith as English cricket’s “unwise men”.
He signed off, “It is a barmy way to run English cricket, they should all be ashamed and embarrassed.”
(With Reuters Inputs)
